


An Unordinary Circumstance

by Hazzaandloubearforever



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Abused!Louis, Adoption attempt, But it gets fluffy I promise, Chaptered, I promise you its not as dark as you believe, M/M, Pregnant!louis, Scared!Louis, This is a bit dark, harry saves louis, non-con, smut in later chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-04
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-11 16:33:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2075193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazzaandloubearforever/pseuds/Hazzaandloubearforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Louis tries to keep the tears at bay and his sobs to a minimum as he rises on shaky legs. He’s frightened of this man. This man whose personality took a full three-sixty after he proposed to him. This wasn’t the carefree, charming man Louis met seven months ago. Louis stands before the raven-haired man, hands clasped behind his back and head ducked. Jayce has been drinking again, Louis can tell. The raunchy smell of Whiskey and Bourbon penetrates Louis’ senses as Jayce approaches him.</i>
</p>
<p>  <i>“Have you been a good boy today?”</i></p>
<p>  <i>The terrified man is afraid to glance up at his boyfriend. His lip quivers as he shakes his head. “N-No, sir.”</i></p>
<p>  <i>“And why’s that, hm?”</i></p>
<p>  <i>“B-Because I didn’t have d-dinner ready when you came home,” Louis whispers, concerned that his voice may give out if he speaks any louder.</i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Or the one where Louis gets knocked up by his abusive boyfriend and Harry saves him.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright! So this is the first time I'm writing a chaptered fic.
> 
> Erm, this story has been in my mind for months and I finally put it on paper and now I'm sharing it with you all. I realize the first chapter may be a bit difficult to read but it all gets better, I promise! There's a happy ending to this resulting with Larry and a new baby :) I just had to find a decent plot where Harry can save Louis! I spent days on this story and I hope it shows when you all read :)
> 
> Rape is a sensitive topic for me considering I was a victim too, so a lot of the scenes that you read will come from personal experience.

_“J-Jayce!” Louis croaks, clawing at the strong hold around his neck. “C-Can’t breathe!”_

_Topaz eyes glare into terrified blue as he tightens his hold a few centimeters before releasing the younger male and watching him topple to the floor, letting out choked gasps. “Get up.”_

_Louis tries to keep the tears at bay and his sobs to a minimum as he rises on shaky legs. He’s frightened of this man. This man whose personality took a full three-sixty after he proposed to him. This wasn’t the carefree, charming man Louis met seven months ago. Louis stands before the raven-haired man, hands clasped behind his back and head ducked. Jayce has been drinking again, Louis can tell. The raunchy smell of Whiskey and Bourbon penetrates Louis’ senses as Jayce approaches him._

_“Have you been a good boy today?”_

_The terrified man is afraid to glance up at his boyfriend. His lip quivers as he shakes his head. “N-No, sir.”_

_“And why’s that, hm?”_

_“B-Because I didn’t have d-dinner ready when you came home,” Louis whispers, concerned that his voice may give out if he speaks any louder._

_“That’s right,” Jayce hisses, large hand grabbing a handful of Louis’ hair and yanking his head back so he can stare at him. “Get in the fucking bedroom.”_

_Louis immediately obliges, stumbling on his feet as he hurries to their bedroom, standing by the side of the bed and ridding himself of his clothing. The previous bruises on his chest are fading, but he knows they’ll only be replaced by new ones by the end of the night. He snivels as he hears Jayce fumble around in the kitchen, the sound of bottles clanking and the icebox closing. Louis’ heart rate increases with each passing moment, horrified for what to expect now. The last time he forgot dinner, Jayce left him with two broken ribs and busted lip. Who’s to say what kind of beating he’ll endure tonight?_

_“On the bed, hands and knees,” Jayce snaps, taking a swing of the dark liquor in the glass before setting it on the bedside table._

_Louis swallows the bile in his mouth as he assumes the position. He can hear the sound of a belt buckle and the poor lad prays to whatever deity is up there that Jayce doesn’t use the belt on him tonight. The welts from the last time were just beginning to go away._

_The Doncaster lad’s breathing hitches when he feels the bed sink and he’s suddenly not the only one on the bed anymore. He feels calloused hands stroke his bare arse before it disappears and is replaced with a large smack! Louis yelps and quickly covers his mouth._

_“Bad boys get punished, don’t they, Louis?” Jayce states, landing another blow to tender flesh._

_Tears prickle at Louis’ eyes as he nods, trying his best not to cry out. He knows how much it upsets Jayce when he makes noise. There’s another blow against his sensitive backside, harder than the last and Louis’ sure this time his skin was broken._

_“Answer me!”_

_“Y-Yes! B-Bad boys get punished,” Louis sobs out, arms giving out as he collapses to the bed leaving his arse in the air._

_Jayce stops the spanking in favor of admiring the writhing boy beneath him. He strokes Louis’ arse, a sadistic grin on his face as his free hand reaches down to palm himself. “Gonna give me what I want, Louis?”_

_Louis knows better than to deny Jayce what he wants. ‘As long as I do as he says, I’ll stay alive,’ the blue-eyed man thinks to himself. His body is in an incredible amount of pain and he just wishes this would be over. Louis wishes for a lot of things. Like he wishes Jay wasn’t this way—wishes he and Jayce could go back to the way things were when they first met. It felt like a fairytale when Louis ran into Jayce. Louis was at the grocery store shopping for he and his roommate when he turned the corner a little too fast and collided with another man sending Louis crashing to the floor, the contents in his basket scattered around him. Jayce had helped him up and as an apology he wanted to treat him to coffee. At the time, Louis was so mesmerized by Jayce’s broad body and exotic eye color that he found himself smitten by him. One thing led to the next and before the Doncaster man could even blink, Louis was wearing Jayce’s ring on his finger and sharing a flat together._

_The feel of Jayce’s cock ramming into him ripped Louis from his memory, the abused man crying out as he felt himself be split open. He could feel the blood trickle down his thighs as he sank his teeth into his knuckles. Of course Jayce forgot lube. It wasn’t the first time he fucked Louis raw like this. ‘Good boys get fucked dry.’ Jayce would only use lube if he deemed Louis deserved it._

_Louis closed his eyes, willing his mind to go elsewhere as his body was used. He’d often try to picture himself laying on the beach with someone who didn’t treat him like a puppet; someone who would press kisses to his face and murmur sweet nothings in his ear as they shared a sunset together. It was images and dreams that kept Louis alive. One day, he’d get out. He’d get out before he was trapped. One day._

"Mr. Tomlinson?" A petite voice calls from a distance, pulling Louis out or his reverie. He glances up at a young woman in purple scrubs with a pixie cut. "We're ready to take you back now."

"Great," Louis answers softly, face void of emotion as he follows the woman through a door and down a hall. He fiddles with his fingers and can't help but glance into each room they pass, seeing men and women with various sizes of swells patiently waiting for the obstetrician to see them.

Louis knows why he's been sick; knows why he chose this clinic specifically. He's had an inkling of what was causing the constant vomiting at all hours of the morning for the last four weeks. A part of him just hopes it's the start of the flu and not what he suspects.

"If you can just step on the scale, Mr. Tomlinson, we'll get you all set up to see Dr. Kratz," the woman, Barbara as it appears on her name tag says. Louis gives her a shy smile and sets his belongings on a tray before stepping onto the scale. Barbara waits patiently for the neon numbers to freeze before logging it in Louis' folder. "Alright, you can grab your things and follow me to exam room 10."

Louis lets out a quiet sigh and trails after the nurse. He regrets listening to his best friend. Niall was more than willing to help him get out of this relationship but Louis always defended Jayce, making excuses and putting the blame on himself. 

Barbara continues with the routine exam, checking his vitals, taking his blood pressure, and drawing some blood before letting Louis know that the doctor would be in shortly. Louis’ eyes well with tears as he’s left to his thoughts. If Louis’ suspicions are correct, he was permanently fucked. He’d be Jayce’s slave forever.

It feels like ages before a middle-aged Asian man walks in. He greets Louis politely and sets his file on the counter. "So you think you have an idea why you're here, Louis?" Dr. Kratz asks as he feels for Louis' glands beneath his jaw. 

"Yes," the Doncaster man replied back, staring at the Manila folder on the counter. It's like the bloody thing is mocking him, as if it's saying 'I know what's wrong with you and you don't!' "Don't dance around the details; just tell me if the test was positive or negative."

Dr. Kratz gives him a sympathetic smile and plops down on the stool. He grabs Louis' file and flips through a few pages before turning his attention back to the young man twiddling his fingers apprehensively. "Congratulations, Louis, you're pregnant."

It isn’t a congratulatory for Louis. He’s pregnant by a man that’s been abusing him for the past seven nearly eight months. Now he’s responsible for another life; a life that he’ll have to protect against its father. Louis tries to keep the tears at bay as he realizes what this baby just caused. How was he going to tell Jayce? Oh, god, Jayce. He was terrified that Jayce would kill Louis and the baby if he knew. Either way, his and now his baby’s life were in jeopardy.

The blue-eyed pursed his lips, hand dropping to his flat belly. There's a baby in there. He was going to bring a baby into this fucked up relationship. "H-How far along am I?" He mutters, voice foreign to him.

"About 4 and a half weeks. It's too early to tell for any signs of defects or abnormalities, but as long as you follow the guidelines to delivering a healthy baby, you'll be fine."

Louis' eyes widened slightly. Abnormalities? Birth defects? Could Jayce’s beatings really cause all that to a newly developed fetus? "Erm...do I need to take supplements or something to help prevent those?"

Dr. Kratz set Louis’ file on the counter and folded his arms across his chest. “Do you plan on keeping this child?”

“O-Of course!” Louis blurts out. He may be in an abusive relationship and both of their lives may be in danger, but abortions went against everything he believed in. Maybe he could place it up for adoption. Louis doesn’t believe he could raise a child that had been created out of rape; raise a child that could potentially look like Jayce. Louis would have to think about his decision, but he was definitely not going to abort the fetus.

The doctor nods and scribbles something down on his pad. "I'll have Barbara give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins when you’re discharged."

"Thank you," Louis replies, voice distant, detached. He's terrified about having this baby. Everything in him is telling him to abort it—abort it before Jayce finds out. This is a living breathing thing Louis' will be responsible for if he decides to raise it. And for the rest of its life at that. His eye catches the silver band around his finger. 

He remembers the last time he forgot to put it back on after washing the dishes. Jayce had accused Louis of cheating, claiming he was going to leave him. The Doncaster man begged and pleaded that that wasn’t the case. But Jayce didn’t believe him, dragging Louis out to their balcony by his hair and dangled him over the banister, explaining that the only way he’d leave him was over the balcony. To this day, Louis has never removed the ring, terrified he’d follow through with his threat the next time he forgot.

Louis quickly bundled himself back up, pulling the beanie down around his ears and wrapping his Burberry scarf tight around his neck and tucking it beneath the collar of his crimson pea coat. It was nearing supper time and he needed to hurry home and prepare Jayce’s meal.

Barbara returned with the paperwork, explaining the prescriptions he'd need to submit to the physician. "This is your first pregnancy, yes?"

"Yes," Louis answered, looking over the prescription sheet. "Do I need to take all of these?"

"Well the Diclegis is for morning sickness. Now pregnancy is different for everyone and your morning sickness may not be as severe as others. Were prescribing this just in case. Now the Gesticare is a supplement for iron and calcium. It's important that you take the Gesticare. You'll be amazed just how low those levels become." 

Louis sighs as he listens to the nurse explain all this to him. There's so much to pregnancy that Louis doesn't know. He'll have to purchase a few books on pregnancy and delivery. Maybe there will be a tiny chance that Jayce will want this baby and help him out. _In your wildest dreams, Louis_ , his conscience told him. "Thank you, Barbara."

"Sure thing, Louis," she beams. She leads Louis to the front, handing him an appointment card for his next scheduled date and sends him on his way. 

From his spot by the counter, Louis could see the flurries coming down. A snow storm was coming and Louis wasn't ready to walk in that. He clutches his papers close and steps out into the blistering weather, the wind biting every inch of skin that wasn't protected by layers of warmth.  
Louis stares out at the crowded streets of London, passerby rushing to get out of the blistering weather. Louis slips on his gloves and heads for the bus stop. He stands by the curb, staring down at the snow blanketing the grass. Louis’ mind goes to a dark place as he sees the bus approaching. One step and he could end it all. He could end the suffering of the abuse he’s endured. He won’t be bringing a baby into this fucked up world; won’t have to feel another punch to his jaw or a slap to the face. He’d finally be at peace.

Louis lets a shuttering breath as he closes his eyes. _Just one step forward._. And he does just that when he senses the bus is near. He doesn't hear the blaring of horns no does he feel a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist and yank him out of the street until he feels he and the stranger collapse into the snowy grass. "Shit!"

"Are you mental?!" The figure practically screams as he dusts himself off before helping Louis to his feet.

Louis can't hear anything, his mind deprived of oxygen as his body tries to register the near death experience. His breathing is becoming labored and although it's negative degrees out, he suddenly feels too warm in his multiple layers. This man just saved him from taking his life. _Why?!_ Louis wants to scream at him. _Why the fuck didn’t you let me do it?!_ The shock finally hits Louis when he realizes what he had almost done. Everything seems to be closing in. Louis' chest is too tight, he's not getting enough air. He’s dying! God was finishing what Louis started, he was sure.

The figures demeanor instantly changes when he realizes the man he just saved is going blue and his breathing becomes erratic. He was having a panic attack. "Hey. Hey, now," he tries, grabbing the shorter male's shoulders. "Deep breaths, in and out. In and out. It was a close call but you're okay. Come on, mate, breathe.” _No, it wasn’t a close call, it was intentional._

The stranger begins to panic himself when he realizes Louis’ not listening and grabs Louis' arms, lifting them above his head and coaching him through the panic attack. His best friend Liam has these all the time and he's been through enough to know the signs of a panic attack and how to get someone through it.

Louis hiccups as the oxygen fills his lungs again. His eyes are watery and his lips are quivering. He blinks a few of the tears away to glance at the lanky figure that pulled him out of the street. Louis' blown away at the mess of unruly curls pulled out of his face by a checkered scarf, revealing bright, concerned emerald eyes. This man was beautiful.

"Th-Thank you," Louis hiccups, a shaky hand coming up to wipe at his face. The many people around them have stopped, some whispering to one another, some questioning the whole situation and others returning to their own business. He probably worried the poor folks of London.

"Gave me a right scare there," the man chuckles nervously, hands still clutched to Louis' shoulders to keep him steady. 

"M'sorry," Louis flushes. This man was too beautiful to stare at for more than a minute. His beauty rivaled Adonis’, it was nearly intimidating. "It wasn't intentional,” he lies. 

The man can see through Louis’ words but nods anyway. He bends down to gather Louis' papers that went flying when he pulled him out of the street. "Here you go."

Louis takes them from this stunning man and thanks him shyly. "Thank you....for you know... saving me."

"I'd say anytime, but I don't want to have to do that again,” the stranger chuckles, scratching the side of his head.

"Right," Louis laughs gently, tucking the prescription under his arm. The city clock strikes six and Louis startles. Jayce will be home in half an hour if he’s late. For once, Louis prays that Jayce isn’t on time today. “I…I’m sorry but I have to go! Thank you again…?” 

“Harry, my name’s Harry!” the curly brunette calls out as Louis hurries down the street toward the tube. 

“Thank you again, Harry!” Louis calls back before he disappears down the steps and makes it into the crowded space just as the doors close. He’s panting and his hair is disheveled but none of that will matter if Jayce is actually on time today. The tube begins to move through the tunnel and Louis gazes out of the window, mind drifting back to unruly hair and emerald eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis isn’t prepared for the first hit, his head spinning at the blow to his jaw. He yelps when the fist collides with his eye the second time, the vessel rupturing above his right one. He tries to defend himself when the third happens but he soon realizes that was a mistake. Jayce grabs Louis by the neck and throws him to the floor. 
> 
> “Did I fucking ask for an explanation, Louis?” Jayce snarls as the toe of his boot collides with Louis’ abdomen causing the pregnant man to yelp. 
> 
> Louis’ coughing and gasping and trying to get the oxygen back into his lungs but there’s another blow to his abdomen and another and _another_ before his vision begins to blur. He tries to curl into himself, the voice within screaming at him to protect the life inside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is chapter 2! :) I think I've mentioned this is going to be a chaptered fic! :P I was shocked by the amount of hits I got in one night! I'm so glad you guys are loving this! Things are going to look up for Louis here in the next few chapters and hopefully Jayce gets what's coming to him!

“Where the fuck have you been?” Jayce hisses the moment Louis steps into their flat. 

“I-I wasn’t feeling well so I went to the clinic,” he replies quietly as he steps further into the flat and removes his shoes. Jayce doesn’t like messes and he learned that the difficult way. He quickly removes his coat and scarf and puts them in their designated areas. “I kn-know I don’t have dinner ready and I’m s—

Louis isn’t prepared for the first hit, his head spinning at the blow to his jaw. He yelps when the fist collides with his eye the second time, the vessel rupturing above his right one. He tries to defend himself when the third happens but he soon realizes that was a mistake. Jayce grabs Louis by the neck and throws him to the floor.  
“Did I fucking ask for an explanation, Louis?” Jayce snarls as the toe of his boot collides with Louis’ abdomen causing the pregnant man to yelp. 

Louis’ coughing and gasping and trying to get the oxygen back into his lungs but there’s another blow to his abdomen and another and _another_ before his vision begins to blur. He tries to curl into himself, the voice within screaming at him to protect the life inside him.

“J-Jayce!” Louis wheezes, hands clasped tightly around his middle as he feels another kick to his ribs. “Pl-please! Pl-Please stop!”

It feels like an eternity before the beatings stop. Louis is lying on the tiled floor in a fetal position, wheezing uncontrollably as he coughs out blood. There’s blood splatter in his peripheral and with every inhale it burns terribly. He can’t see out of his right eye and his left is so blurred he can only make out shapes.

“Get up and make my dinner, Louis, I’m not going to ask again,” comes Jay’s reply minutes later.

Louis coughs up more blood, whimpering as he struggles to right himself. His knees wobble before he collapses back to the floor. The pain in his abdomen is so severe he feels like he’s broken a rib. Alarm bells are going off in his head to dial 999 and be checked over; to make sure the baby didn’t suffer anything.  
“I said _get up!_ ” Jayce screams as he pushes Louis with his foot causing the pregnant man to roll over on his back. 

His lungs are constricting. He can’t breathe anymore. Had there always been black dots on the ceiling? His vision swims as he watches the walls spin above him. The last thing he sees is Jay’s figure before darkness consumes him.

***

Death is peaceful. Easy. Or so Louis believes. He’s not in pain wherever he is. He can’t see anything but he’s relaxed, almost numb. _Louis?_ The voice is distant but Louis can’t make it out. _Mr. Tomlinson, can you hear me? Why isn’t he responding? Is he even alive? Do something for Christ’s sake!_ There’s a multitude of questions and they seem almost scattered but Louis’ mind is too fuzzy to piece everything together. If he could just be in this moment—whatever moment this is—forever, then he was fine with that. No worries. No Jayce. No beatings. Just peace.

_Louis?_ There’s that voice again only it isn’t so distant anymore. There’s a bright light from afar. The more he squints to see it, the closer it becomes until he’s suddenly surrounded by a few faces. “Oh thank God!” one voice cries in relief.

Louis gasps at the harsh lighting and immediately closes them again. Another voice apologizes before the lights are dimmed and Louis’ visions can adjust. The pregnant man blinks a few times and finally everything comes into focus. His best friend, Niall is standing on his left, eyes a bit puffy. There’s an elderly woman in yellow scrubs and a younger one in a white lab coat.

“Mr. Tomlinson, my name is Kerri Logan and I’m an emergency physician,” the woman in the lab coat introduces herself as she pulls out a pocket flashlight and flashes the light into his eyes. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” Louis whispers, eyes scanning his surroundings. His feels like he was crushed by car. His lungs feel tight and every time he breathes, he finds it difficult to inhale. There’s no sight of Jayce but there’s a woman in a pantsuit with a clipboard standing by the entrance. The blue-eyed man furrows his brows at the stranger and turns his gaze to Niall. “Who is that woman, Ni?”

Before Niall could respond, the pantsuit lady approaches Louis’ bed, her smile warm and kind. “Hi, Louis, I’m Elisa Ray and I’m a social worker.”

Oh no. Louis’ eyes widen in alarm and he shakes his head. He knows why she’s here. “Where’s Jayce?”

“We are unsure of his whereabouts,” Elisa replies. “When your friend found you, he was nowhere in sight. Niall, here contacted me after he called the medics.”

“What?” Louis croaks, yelping when his ribs are agitated. “N-Niall, why?”

“Try to relax, Mr. Tomlinson. You have four broken ribs and a punctured lung,” Dr. Logan explains, placing a petite hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to be a bit sore for awhile.

“I’m just worried about you, Lou,” Niall confesses. “I c-came by to see if you wanted to see a movie and then I found you lying in a pool of your own blood. I-I panicked and called Elisa. Enough is enough, Louis.”

“B-But he d-didn’t do anything. I…tripped on my own feet and fell down the entry steps,” Louis tries to rush out but his ribs and lung make speaking so arduous.

Elisa purses her lips and Niall stifles a sigh. It wasn’t the first time abused victims had tried to protect their beaters. “Are you sure that’s what happened, Louis?” Elisa asks, giving Louis a comforting look.

The Doncaster man nods and glances at Niall as if pleading with him not to say anything more. “I promise that’s what happened. Jayce is a good man. He hasn’t done anything.”

The social worker gives the doctor a look before patting Louis’ shoulder. “Well, I’m going to keep your case open just in case you change your mind, Louis. Remember, you’re not alone and you don’t own him anything. You don’t have to protect him.”

“I’m not!” Louis snaps, wincing at the searing pain in his side.

“Alright, why don’t we let Mr. Tomlinson rest, yeah?” Dr. Logan intervenes, checking Louis’ vital signs. 

Elisa nods and hands Niall her contact information before exiting the room. Niall tucks the information away and presses a kiss to his best friend’s forehead before smiling softly. “I’m gonna bring you your favorite blanket and book, kay?”

“Kay,” Louis whispers, smiling in thanks. He waits for his best mate to leave the room before he grabs the doctor’s attention. “Does he know about my pregnancy?”

“Patient information is only released to family members, so no,” Kerri responds as she scribbles something down on the clipboard. “You and your baby are lucky to be alive, Louis. When the medics brought you in, your lung was punctured, filling the cavity with blood. Fortunately we managed to stop and drain it before you went into cardiac arrest. Had you gone into cardiac arrest, the oxygen supply to the fetus would have cut off and the fetus would have self-abort itself.”

Louis has to swallow the bile in his mouth at the doctor’s words. He doesn’t want to think about losing his baby. He’s grateful that the doctors managed to save him and his child. What happened was only an accident. It was his fault for making Jayce so mad. He should have scheduled his appointment for earlier in the day so he _would’ve_ been home in time. His boyfriend didn’t mean to hit him _this_ hard. “This won’t happen again, I promise.”

“I hope not,” she hums. “Next time, you two might not be so lucky. I’ve set up an IV drip with morphine. Get some rest and my aide will be in later to check on you.”  
The pregnant man nods as he feels the medicine take effect. His vision blurs again, his body worn out from the traumatic experience. He’s out cold before the doctor reaches the door.

***

The pain in his face and chest come back tenfold when Louis wakes up. His right eye is swollen shut but the throbbing around his left is too much to bear. He fumbles for the switch next to him, holding his thumb against the call button. He just wants to go back to sleep—return to that numb feeling again.

Louis’ voice is lost in his throat when the curtain gets pushed back and in walks a figure with unruly curls and emerald eyes. _It’s him. Harry._

This beautiful man instantly recognizes Louis despite the swollen face and bruises marring his face. He smiles genuinely and approaches Louis’ bed, checking his vitals and making sure the IV drip hasn’t leaked. “Well good morning, Louis.”

“Harry…” The pregnant man blurts out, eyes exploring the man’s features. “You’re a nurse’s aide?”

“Yes, I am, and truth be told, I hoped I’d see you again albeit not in this circumstance,” He chuckles lightly as he goes to the monitors and copies the info down into Louis’ charts.

Louis’ eyes widen almost comically. “Wh-What? Hoped to see me again?”

“Why not?” Harry smiles wide, a dimple appearing on his left cheek. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been thinking about you.”

Louis blushes but his wounds and swollen face save him the embarrassment. “I-I’ve been thinking about you, too.”

“I’m glad the feeling’s mutual,” Harry smiles. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“I’m in a lot of pain, I think the medication wore off.”

“You’d be correct about that. Let me go grab another bag of morphine and I’ll be right back, okay?”

Louis nods and tries to take a deep breath but the pinching pain in his abdomen quickly ruins that attempt. He brings his hands to his belly and stares at the ceiling. Tonight was a close call. _He could have killed you, little one—could have killed_ us. Louis prays that Jayce doesn’t figure out that Niall contacted the authorities regarding their relationship. He’s afraid Jayce will go after Niall and put him in the ground for snitching.

Harry returns minutes later with a new bag of morphine and quickly exchanges the empty bag for the new one. “There we are. Give the medicine a few and the pain should wear off. Just let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

“Thank you,” Louis whispers and struggles to pull the blanket up by his chest. 

Harry saves Louis the trouble and pulls the blanket up and around his neck for him. “Are you going to tell me why you’re in here?”

Louis’ startled by the man’s sudden concern. “Didn’t you read my file?”

“I did, yes, but that’s what the medic reported.”

“Then it’s the truth…” Louis replies. “I fell down the entry steps of my flat.”

“Bullshit,” he spits. “You don’t get broken ribs and a punctured lung from falling down a flight of steps, Louis.”

Louis narrows his eyes at Harry and shakes his head. “I _fell down,_ Harry,” Louis hisses.

Harry shakes his head and cards his fingers through his hair, doing everything in his ability not to explode on him. He digs into one of the pockets on his scrubs and fishes out a bandana. He fastens the black with paisley print fabric around his head and pulls his bangs out of his eyes. “You’re protecting him.” Harry says it with so much venom but Louis knows it’s not directed at him.

“I…erm.” Louis’ eyes well with tears and he ducks his head.

“Hey,” Harry whispers, his large hand coming up to cup Louis’ cheek. It’s soft and Louis finds himself nuzzling into the touch. He can’t remember the last time someone touched him so gently, so _lovingly._ “I’m sorry. It’s not my place to ask.”

“I’m pregnant with his baby,” Louis finally says. He doesn’t know why he feels obligated to share this information with Harry but the way he’s cupping his face and treating him like Louis will break proves something else.

Harry’s face instantly falls and his emerald eyes flash to Louis’ flat stomach. “Y-You’re pregnant?”

“F-Four and a half weeks, to be exact.”

The taller male lets out disappointed sigh and drops his hand from Louis’ face. “Do you love him?”

Louis’ eyes widen as if he was asked such a heinous question. “Who are you to ask me a question like that?”

“It’s a simple question.” Harry shrugs sheepishly. “Do you love the man or not?”

“I don’t have to answer to you,” Louis snaps, closing his eyes. “Thank you for changing my bag and I’d appreciate it if you would just leave.”

Harry purses his lips, looking like a kicked puppy but nods nonetheless. “Okay. I’ll be back later to check on you. Feel better, Louis.” 

Louis immediately feels guilty as more tears trickle down his cheeks. “H-Harry, wait.”

The curly brunette pauses at the door and turns to face Louis. “Yeah?”

“I-I’m sorry, I just…” Louis breathes. “I’m just fucking scared, okay? I…I’m pregnant by a man who can take my life in the blink of an eye. A-And now I’m bringing this fucker’s baby into this horrible relationship and he doesn’t even know he’s going to be a dad and _fuck,_ my life is a mess.” 

Louis sighs. He feels like the weight of his shoulders had been slightly lifted by telling Harry this. Sure, he’s got Niall and yes, the Irish man already knows his predicament but he’s scared shitless that Niall will end up in a body bag right next to Louis for trying to help him. Louis can’t let that happen. He _won’t_ let that happen. 

“You know you don’t have to live like that, Louis. You have options,” Harry explains with a bright smile. _I can be your option, Louis. Let me save you,_ Harry’s inner thoughts say. “Just... think about that, okay?” And with that, he leaves Louis to his thoughts.

_What the hell is this man on about? I don’t have options. Jayce will kill me if I try to leave him._ Even if Louis puckered up the courage to leave Jayce, he would have nowhere to go. The pregnant man doesn’t have a cent to his name. Jayce wouldn’t allow him to work; forced Louis to quit his job when they moved in. _You’re only responsibility is pleasing me and being a good boy._

***

The next time Louis wakes up, he’s not alone. The color drains from his body when he sees Jayce sitting in the chair next to his bed. The pregnant man is startled by the look of guilt written in his boyfriend’s features.

“J-Jayce?” Louis croaks. He’s not sure if this is some charade; not sure what will be the next thing to leave his mouth.

“You’re awake,” he mutters, a calloused hand coming up to grab Louis’ shaking one He flinches when Jayce makes the move, fearing that he was going to hit him again. 

“How are you feeling?”

Louis stares at the broad-shouldered man perplexed. It’s as if this man wasn’t the reason Louis’ in the hospital, gave him broken ribs and threatened the life of him and his unborn child.

“I’m fine?” he answers stiffly, monitoring Jayce’s every movement. 

“Good,” Jayce states. He leans in so his lips are pressed to Louis’ ear. “You forget my dinner again and you’re going to suffer more than a swollen face and broken ribs.” Louis’ breathing hitches and his eyes stare widely at his boyfriend. “Am I clear?”

“Y-Yes, sir.” Louis’ trembling, the monitors going haywire. 

Jayce smiles, his grin so sinister it freezes Louis’ core. “I just want you to be my good boy.”

“I-I’ll be your good boy, Jayce,” Louis nods frantically. “Pr-Promise.”

“That’s my Lou,” he whispers and leans forward to press a tender kiss to his forehead. Tears well in his eyes as Jayce pulls away. This man is going to kill him if he doesn’t get out soon.

“Knock, knock,” Harry calls before pulling the curtain back. 

The smile on Jayce’s face falls when he sees the lanky man in white scrubs. “We’d like to be alone.”

“I’m just here to check Louis’ vitals,” Harry responds, eyes hard as he stares Jayce down.

Louis winces when he feels Jayce squeeze his hand tightly, as if daring the Doncaster lad to defend Harry. 

“Jayce, sweetheart, could you go get me a bottled water?” Louis asks softly, his free hand coming up to stroke Jayce’s cheek. “I-I’m a bit thirsty.”

Jayce narrows his eyes at Harry and flashes his gaze back to Louis. His stare is cold, lifeless—menacing. It’s a warning. “Sure, anything for _my_ Louis.” Jayce releases Louis’ hand in favor of grabbing his jaw tightly and kissing him deeply, forcing his tongue into his mouth and claiming him. Louis gasps when one of Jayce’s fingers presses into the bruise. He whimpers and sits there compliant albeit reluctantly as he tries to return to kiss with just as much vigor. He wants Jayce to be satisfied. “I love you, Louis. I love you to _death._ ”

“I l-love you, too, Jay,” Louis murmurs, pulling Jayce back for a chaste kiss for good measure. He knows he’s done well when Jayce smiles brightly and disappears without preamble.

The moment his boyfriend leaves the room, Louis starts to sob. He buries his face in his hands and weeps. His abdomen is on fire but he could care less. He’s just so glad he didn’t start anything with Harry. The curly brunette glares after Jayce wants nothing more than to go after that man and beat him to a bloody pulp. 

“How long have you two been together?” Harry asks as he exchanges Louis’ IV bag with a new one.

“S-Seven months.”

“How long’s he been abusing you?”

“He’s not abusing me,” Louis quickly says, worried that Jayce could be listening. “I love him. I shouldn’t make him so angry. It’s my fault.”

Harry peeks his head out of the curtain before popping back in and lowering his voice. He carefully cups Louis’ face with both hands and stares into the one eye that isn’t swollen shut. “He _is_ abusing you, Louis and you don’t deserve that,” Harry hisses. “What he’s doing to you is wrong and he _knows_ it! Look, I know you’re terrified, but you don’t have live that way. Think about your baby, Louis. Are you willing to bring him or her into that home? A home where you can’t guarantee you’ll live to see the next day?”

Louis explores Harry’s features. Why is he so determined to help him? He barely knows Louis and yet he’s giving him options? Telling him he’s worth more than being someone’s punching bag? “Wh-Why are you telling me all this? Why do you want to help me?”

Harry drops his hands from Louis’ face and grabs a pen and paper of the counter. He scribbles something down before folding the paper twice and tucking it in Louis’ belongings lying on the table. “Because you’re far too perfect to live the life you’re living, Louis.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tell me you love me, Louis,” Jayce mutters against Louis’ shoulder as he tightens his hold around Louis’ hip painfully. 
> 
> It’s a silent threat and Louis startles at that. He quickly cups Jayce’s face and kisses him passionately. He doesn’t want his mood to flip. “I love you, Jayce. So much.”
> 
> “I know you do,” he quips, nipping at Louis’ neck. “And why’s that, baby?”
> 
> “Because I’m nothing without you, baby.” The words sound mechanical on his tongue. He’s had to say those words countless times that the emotion behind them has disappeared. “I’d be a useless whore without my Jayce.”
> 
> “That’s right, baby boy. You’re mine forever.”
> 
> “Yes, yours. Forever,” Louis quickly says, pressing kiss after kiss to Jay’s face. “And I have s-something to tell you.”  
> Jayce’s expression turns a bit feral and he squeezes Louis’ hips so tightly he whimpers. He can feel the telltale sign of bruises forming around his middle. “We’re pregnant, Jay! I’m gonna have your baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where Louis and Harry's relationship sort of shoot off! :) I hope you enjoy this chapter! I certainly enjoyed writing it!

Louis gets released a week later with a clean bill of health. His ribs are still sore but the swelling in his face have gone down some. He can see out of his right eye again at least, so he considers it a plus. He messages Jayce that he’s being released today but his boyfriend’s only response is to send a text that he better have dinner on the table or expect to end up back in the hospital. Louis holds the threat for what it is and has Niall drive him home.

Louis has dinner ready when Jayce returns homes from work that night and he knows he’s been a good boy when Jayce repays Louis with a blow job—a rare occurrence—against the kitchen counter. He still has to find the right time to tell Jayce he’s carrying his baby. He figures telling him tonight after he’s had his beer and dinner is the best idea.

“Jayce?” Louis tries, hesitantly approaching the raven-haired man one Wednesday night.

Jayce glances up from the telly and pats his thighs. “Come sit on daddy’s lap, baby boy.”

Louis quickly obliges so not to upset his abuser and scurries over to sit in his lap. His smile wavers when his boyfriend curls an arm around his waist and presses a kiss to his shoulder. “You’ve been a good boy lately, Louis.”

“I just wanna keep my love happy, that’s all,” Louis murmurs, inwardly cringing at the sappy nicknames he gives his rapist. He knows if he showers Jayce with affection, it’ll keep his mood content. Underneath Jayce’s shell there’s a layer of insecurity and Louis think that’s the reason he’s so controlling. 

“Tell me you love me, Louis,” Jayce mutters against Louis’ shoulder as he tightens his hold around Louis’ hip painfully. 

It’s a silent threat and Louis startles at that. He quickly cups Jayce’s face and kisses him passionately. He doesn’t want his mood to flip. “I love you, Jayce. So much.”

“I know you do,” he quips, nipping at Louis’ neck. “And why’s that, baby?”

 

“Because I’m nothing without you, baby.” The words sound mechanical on his tongue. He’s had to say those words countless times that the emotion behind them has disappeared. “I’d be a useless whore without my Jayce.”

“That’s right, baby boy. You’re mine forever.”

“Yes, yours. Forever,” Louis quickly says, pressing kiss after kiss to Jay’s face. “And I have s-something to tell you.”

Jayce’s expression turns a bit feral and he squeezes Louis’ hips so tightly he whimpers. He can feel the telltale sign of bruises forming around his middle. “We’re pregnant, Jay! I’m gonna have your baby.”

Louis expects Jayce to throw him to the floor, spit obscenities at home for being irresponsible. What he doesn’t expect is a face splitting smile coming from the abusive man—a grin he hasn’t seen in eight months. The smile is so foreign, it’s almost eerie and makes Louis cringe.

“You’re gonna have my baby?” he asks, one hand leaving Louis’ hip to press against his flat belly. 

“Yeah, baby,” Louis whispers, placing his hand over Jayce’s. “That’s how much I love you, baby. I love you so much I wanted to have your baby.” The words are like acid on his tongue but at this point, he’d say anything to keep his abuser’s temper underway. 

“Oh, Louis,” his abuser laughs—it sounds maniacal to Louis. He cups Louis’ face and kisses him deeply, grabbing his thighs and adjusting Louis until he’s straddling his waist. “My perfect boy. Always pleasing daddy, aren’t you?”

“A-Always,” Louis says, peppering kisses all over Jayce’s face. Showering this man with affection makes him sick to his stomach. 

He knows he’s going to have to make some life-changing decisions before the baby’s born and he knows he won’t be able to do them alone. At this point, Louis’ willing to do and say whatever it takes to keep Jayce from busting Louis’ eye or breaking another rib. The pregnant man doesn’t know how many beatings his body can take before it becomes detrimental to his child. Louis’ll have to figure out an escape before his belly really starts to swell. It’s barely a bump now—almost like a food baby.

Jayce fucks him that night—a celebratory fuck, Louis believes. He just lies there and stares out the window while Jayce uses his body, grunting and moaning like a filthy animal. Having sex with Jayce is so automatic, it’s like a chore. Louis can’t remember the last time he got off. He’s terrified of touching himself, fearing that Jayce will find out somehow and punish him for it. It’s not like his abuser cares if Louis’ hard or not. As long as he gets to fuck Louis and he gets release, that’s all that matters. _You’re my property, Louis. Daddy’s little whore. That’s all you’ll ever be._

Louis rolls onto his side once Jayce pulls out and collapses next to him. His eyes well with tears as he stares at the starry sky. Louis feels so used. He’s sticky and sore and he wants nothing more than to curl in a fetal position and cry. Instead he remains stolid, wrapping his arms protectively around his belly and waits patiently for his boyfriend to sleep so he can go traipse to the bathroom—a common occurrence that began when Jayce first started raping him. He has an alarm that goes off an hour before his abuser wakes so he can lie back in bed so not to upset Jayce anymore than he already does.

Louis often wonders what it’s like to be in a relationship that’s equal—wondered what’s it like to have someone greet him at the door with a hug and an ‘I love you.’ He’s thought about that for awhile now. He blames himself for not seeing the signs early on and getting out while he could. The first time Jayce slapped him, it was so startling that Louis panicked and did as Jayce said. The first time his abuser left a visible mark and Niall saw, he threatened to call the authorities but Louis plead with the Irish man not to—told him that it was an accident. These ‘accidents’ became common occurrences and eventually turned into a demeaning lifestyle.

Louis closes his eyes and envisions a faceless figure holding him tight, littering his face with kisses and murmuring sweet nothings. He pictures this faceless figure making love to him, memorizing the contours of his body—telling him how beautiful he his round with _their_ body. He pictures the form coaching him through labor and delivery, tearing up at the sight of their new baby. His wayward thoughts put an actual face to this figure and the pregnant man’s eyes snap open when his mind depicts unruly curls and emerald eyes with a dimpled smile. _Harry._

He barely knows the man and yet his mind is preoccupied by everything about him. _How old is he? How many siblings does he have? Where did he grow up? Has someone already stolen his heart? What’s his favorite color? Does he want kids? What’s his definition of love? Why does he have so much faith in Louis?_ These thoughts preoccupy Louis’ mind and they suddenly drift to more intimate questions. _What’s he like in bed? Is he a selfless lover? Does he top? Bottom? Is he just as sappy as Louis pictures him to be? Does he makes the darkest days bright?_ He makes Louis’ darkest days bright. For the first time in eight months, Louis drifts off into a peaceful slumber, a minuscule smile on his lips as he imagines a better life than the one he’s living—a life with Harry.

***

Jayce eases up on the punishments now with the knowledge of the baby. To say Louis is happy is an understatement. He’s _relieved._ He’s relieved that there’s some ounce of compassion in his abuser. Jayce only slaps Louis once since the announcement and even the pregnant man can’t blame him for it. He feels like he deserved it. He accidentally replied impertinently to one of Jayce’s questions and before he could apologize, he was on the floor with a bloody nose. Louis quickly learns that it’s best to reply with ‘yes, sir’ or ‘yes, daddy’ to keep his abuser’s temper from wavering.

The raven-haired man denies Louis’ request to attend his monthly appointments. The pregnant man is afraid to ask what the reason is so he keeps his mouth shut and just accepts it. He tracks his pregnancy on his phone calendar, smiling when he realizes that he’s made it to almost twelve weeks. He’s just reaching the end of his first trimester and he thanks God that he made it this far without complications. Now, Louis only hopes that he can continue the next two trimesters without incident.

That ambition comes to a screeching halt one night after Jayce gets out of the shower.

“The fuck is this, Louis?” Jayce hisses, holding up a crumpled up piece of paper with smeared sentences. “ _Here’s my number. You have options,_ ” he reads the sentence before chucking the piece of paper at Louis. “Do you plan on leaving me, Louis?”

The pregnant man’s heart drops into the pit of his stomach as he remembers the first night he was in the hospital. He faintly remembers Harry putting something in his clothes but forgot about it when he got home. How could he have been so stupid not have double checked when he first got realized?

“N-No, Jayce! I swear, I—

Louis doesn’t have the chance to finish his sentence because Jayce crosses the room in two strides and grabs the pregnant man by the neck nearly cutting off his hair supply. He bashes Louis’ skull against the wall and snarls at him. “Don’t you fucking lie to me, slut!”

Louis wheezes, his vision swimming as he claws desperately at his abuser’s hand. He can’t breathe. Everything suddenly feels fuzzy. _No. Not again._ “The baby…th-think of our baby, Jay!” Louis gasps out, praying— _hoping_ that it’ll spark something in Jayce. It doesn’t. It only fuels Jayce’s rage causing him to tighten his hold around Louis’ neck and toss his head against the wall a second time. 

“You’re a fucking slut. That baby probably isn’t mine.” Louis yelps when Jayce backhands him, sending him teetering to the floor. “You think you could find someone better than me, huh?” Jayce hisses. Louis clutches at the carpet, his nose dripping blood and his lip stinging. His peripheral view catches the crumpled note and he scrambles to reach for it. Jayce notices Louis’ attempt and kicks him in one of his ribs halting all efforts.

Louis doesn’t have time to recover before his abuser grabs a fistful of his hair and hauls Louis off the floor. The pregnant man cries out, gripping at Jayce’s wrist to ease the pain some. His abuser glowers at Louis with so much venom, Louis’ truly terrified this is his last night on earth. “So you want to leave me, huh, Louis? That can be arranged,” the raven-haired man jeers as he drags Louis toward the balcony.

Louis’ eyes widen when they start moving and he screams and yells, fighting against Jayce’s hold as the stronger man lifts Louis up and tries to toss him over the balcony. “JAYCE NO! NO, PLEASE! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! THE BABY’S YOURS! IT’S YOURS! DON’T KILL ME! PL-PLEASE!” He’s pleading for both of their lives. 

He kicks at any and everything in his way, desperately trying to get away from the railing. He knows he’s come in contact with some part of his abuser when the older man howls out in pain and grabs his face, giving Louis a small window of opportunity to escape. 

“You little cunt!” He hisses and scrambles off the floor to charge after Louis.

The pregnant man dodges his attacker, ducking and diving to avoid the danger man. He gets halfway to the door before he feels something shatter against the back of his skull. He’s sure whatever was just chucked at him would have put him on his arse if it weren’t for the adrenaline coursing through his veins. 

He grabs the first pair of shoes and hoodie he finds and rushes out of the flat, taking the stairs two at a time and running until his legs can’t handle it anymore. He can hear Jayce barreling behind him but that only fuels the pregnant man to run faster. His lungs burn and his ribs are killing him but he can’t stop—not now. He rounds a corner and into an alley and thinks it’s safe when he can’t hear his rapist anymore. . _We’re safe. We’re okay._ Louis drops the hoodie and shoes and hunches over, taking in gasping breaths . His feet are scraped and bloody from running barefoot and his head is throbbing. It’s the middle of March so it’s still chilly in London. The back of his mind tells Louis that he can’t stay here forever. Jayce could still be scouring the streets looking for him. The pregnant man quickly slides on his shoes and slips the hoodie over his body before exiting out into the streets of London.

Louis glances up at the street signs and realizes he isn’t too far from Niall’s place; maybe a couple of blocks. He tucks his hands in his hoodie and takes off for his mate’s place. He staggers through by-passers as a few yell after him. He feels an odd sensation, a mixture between hot and cold trickling from the back of his skull. He almost makes it to the end of the block before he loses his footing and topples to the floor, his body colliding with the hard concrete. His vision blurs before he dissipates into darkness.

***

It’s dark out by the time Louis wakes up. The curtains are drawn so the evening sky is the only source of light in the room. He feels like he’s ran a marathon and his entire body aches. He’s got tubes taped to his hand and IV coming out of his arm. The puffs of oxygen filtering into his nose make him a little loopy but that doesn’t stop the underlying fear of why he’s back in the hospital. Did he lose his baby? 

The soft snoring at the end of the bed informs Louis that he isn’t the only one in the room. In the moonlight, the pregnant man can see a mop of curls on folded arms. _What’s Harry doing here?_ He wiggles his foot and shoves lightly at Harry until the younger male stirs and lifts his head. 

Harry wipes at his eyes and glances in Louis’ direction, eyes widening when he notices he’s awake. “You’re awake!”

“How long ‘ave I been out?” Louis asks, voice hoarse from sleep.

The younger lad glances at the clock. “Nearly six hours. Gave me quite a scare, mate.”

Louis’ ridden with guilt and he frowns. “M’sorry.”

“What the hell happened, Louis?” Harry asks, carding his fingers through his hair. He scoots the chair up by Louis’ side and takes a seat. “You were rushed in here with head trauma. No one knew who you were until I identified you.”

_Head trauma? What the hell did Jayce do to me?_ “My baby,” Louis suddenly panics, hands flying to his belly.

“The baby’s fine—perfectly healthy,” Harry appeases with a small smile, placing his hand over Louis’. “He or she is unharmed.”

“Oh, thank god,” Louis sighs out, wincing when a stabbing pain goes through his ribs. 

“Doc says you’re gonna have a killer headache for a bit. You came in with a laceration the size of a golf ball, mate. We had to stitch you up. They took a CAT scan and x-ray as well. No permanent brain damage and no broken ribs but they’re gonna be sore for awhile.”

Louis tries to wrack his brain for the reason leading to this hospital visit as Harry explains his condition. “I…Jayce. H-He accused me of cheating—that the baby wasn’t mine. He tried to toss me over the balcony but I f-fought him off.”

Harry’s hands clench into fists as he glares at Louis’ bed sheets. “That fucker threatened to kill you?!”

“H-Harry, please,” Louis pleads, fearing that his temper was just as violent as Jayce’s.

The curly brunette glances at Louis and his demeanor instantly softens. He can’t imagine just how much emotional trauma this man has suffered. He can’t let this go any further. _No more. I won’t let another soul harm you._ “You’re not going back there, Louis.”

“Where else am I supposed to go, Harry?” Louis croaks, eyes welling with tears. He _truly_ can’t return to his flat. If he went back, he’s certain Jayce would succeed in killing him.

“You’re gonna stay with me tonight,” Harry concedes. 

“Oh, Harry…” Louis swallows. “N-No, I couldn’t impose.” _Of course you could, Louis, are you fucking mental? You’ve been dreaming of this man for the past month and he’s offering his place up to you and you’re denying this opportunity? Are you insane?_

“Rubbish,” Harry scoffs. “No exceptions, Louis. You’re coming home with me tonight. I refuse to let you go back there.”

“Are you sure?” 

“There’s no other place I’d want you to be,” Harry smiles. “Let me take care of you.”

Louis’ breathing hitches and he can’t stop the smile teasing at his lips as he whispers, “Okay.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so terribly sorry for posting this chapter so late! I had my best friend come into town for a week and we've been living it up light high school teens again which meant drunken nights and late mornings! But aside from that, the chapters should be coming regularly again! I start college again on the 25th, so I hope to finish the story before then considering I'll barely have to time to write with all the work that'll come with my classes!!
> 
> Also, a wonderful thank you to arrowheartlouis for supplying me with a few ideas for this chapter! You rock girl! :P Also go read her work! It's FANTASTIC! :P If you love Larry and smut, she's the one to go to!

“Alright, Louis, here we go,” Harry murmurs, grabbing onto Louis’ arms and carefully helping him out of bed. 

Louis hisses as his ribs are disturbed. His head aches a bit as he’s pulled upright and he hopes the pain pills the doctor prescribed wipes it out. He clutches Harry’s upper arms and briefly admires the muscles beneath his finger tips before he’s eased into the wheelchair. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” the curly brunette beams and gathers up Louis’ clothes. 

Louis squirms uncomfortably in the chair, pulling on the sleeves of Harry’s oversized jumper. Harry’s joggers are a bit long on him that the curly brunette had to cuff the bottom a couple times. The pregnant man feels a bit weird wearing some else’s clothes. Louis’ only ever worn his own and he didn’t mind wearing the ones he arrived to the hospital with but they were blood stained and ripped and Harry pleaded with Louis to just borrow some clothes; told him that it wasn’t a big deal at all.

Harry places Louis’ belongings in his lap and takes the breaks off the chair. “Ready to go, Louis?”

“Yes,” Louis whispers, voice small and timid. “H-Harry, are you s-sure this is okay? I mean, w-won’t your boyfriend be upset that you’re bringing another man home?” _There. Out in the open._

The curly brunette chuckles at Louis’ statement and shakes his head. “Well, it _would_ be a bit awkward if I _had_ a boyfriend and wasn’t living by myself.”

Louis blanches. There’s no way this beautiful man wasn’t taken. The pregnant man’s quite offended that Harry is single. No one so perfect and humble deserves to be single. “You don’t deserve to be single…you deserve to be loved and cherished by someone, Harry.” _Did I just confess to something? Oh fuck, I’ve already mucked this up._

For the first time, Harry flushes and gives Louis his award winning smile. “We all have our reasons, Louis.”

 _You’re right about that._ “Yeah, I guess so.”

***

Louis’ blown away when they arrive at Harry’s flat. He lives in a one bedroom flat with a floor to ceiling window that has a view of the heart of London. _He can afford this on an aide’s salary?_ Louis shakes his head and decides to drop the issue. It’s not his business how Harry can afford the finer things.

“There’s only one bedroom so I’m gonna let you have it,” Harry beams, pushing the wheelchair further into the flat and planting the breaks. 

Louis stares up at Harry as if he’s grown two heads. This beautiful man who he only met months ago, just offered his bed up to him. “Harry, I appreciate what you’re doing for me, but I’m not going to take your bed.”

Harry knows Louis’ a fragile soul so the last thing he wants to do is make this man uncomfortable. He doesn’t want to be like the arse Louis’ been living with. Harry squats in front of Louis so they’re at eye level and places his large hands on the pregnant man’s knees. Louis gasps softly at Harry’s touch, gazing into soft, jade eyes. 

“I know how uncomfortable hospital beds can be. You’re recovering from a head injury and I’m sure the rest of your body aches. You deserve a decent day’s rest, Louis—hell, you deserve the world. I want to help you—I want to help you _and_ your baby but in order for me to do that, you need to trust me, okay?”

This man is merely a stranger in Louis’ eyes but he’s got a heart of gold. He almost feels guilty for denying Harry’s gratitude. “I…I’m not used to being treated this way,” he confesses.

“While you’re here, you’ll _always_ have a choice, Louis,” Harry declares, flashing that dimpled smile that makes Louis weak in the knees. “Now, are you hungry?”

Louis smiles softly and nods as he fiddles with his thumbs. “A bit.”

“And what would you like to eat?”

“Oh…erm a sandwich?” Louis suggests. That’s all he was ever allowed to eat; a simple peanut butter and jam. On days that Louis knew Jayce wouldn’t be home for hours, he’d indulge on a few crisps, maybe a fizzy drink. But after Louis slipped up by leaving the bag of crisps on the counter and getting a broken wrist in return, he never chanced the risk again. In Jayce’s eyes, he had control over Louis. Since Jayce earned the money, he had a say in what went into Louis’ mouth.

Harry notices the way Louis tenses at the suggestion. “Are you sure?”

“That’s all I’m allowed to eat.” Louis feels the tears well in his eyes. Mentioning the circumstances he had to endure when he was with Jayce made him feel like a small child. All he ever knows is what someone else gives him. He’s never been able to make a decision for himself. 

The curly brunette’s heart breaks at Louis’ words. “You can eat whatever you and your baby want. What’s your favorite food?”

Louis has to think back to the last time he ate something other than peanut butter and jam. “I once made this meal…erm, it was chicken stuffed with mozzarella, wrapped in Parma ham with some mashed potato.” 

Harry’s face splits with a wide smile. “Now, we’re talking mate. C’mon, I’ll show you to the room and you can nap while I run to the market and get the ingredients to make the meal, yeah?”

“Okay,” Louis whispers. 

“Here, lemme help you up,” Harry says, holding out his hands for Louis to take. Louis sighs, feeling incompetent as he grabs Harry’s hands. The curly brunette carefully hoists Louis out of the chair and curls an arm around his waist. “Is this okay?”

Louis takes a moment to inhale Harry’s scent. He smells like strawberries and a something distinctly Harry. He could die happily pressed against Harry. “It’s fine…”

Harry smiles at that and carefully leads Louis down the hall to the bedroom. Louis doesn’t realize how weak he really is until his knees start to wobble. He feels Harry tighten his hold carefully around his hips to keep him from collapsing. The curly brunette eases Louis down onto his cal king bed and dims the light.

“I’m only gonna be gone a few minutes. You sure you’ll be okay by yourself?” Harry asks, chewing his bottom lip with worry. He doesn’t feel right leaving Louis in a foreign place on his own. He’s afraid he’ll try to move on his own while he’s gone and end up injuring himself more than he already is.

“I’m fine, Harry,” Louis hums, fighting to keep his eyes open as he snuggles into the blankets. Harry’s bed smells just like him and it’s enough to sooth Louis into a peaceful slumber. “Th-Thank you for all your help.”

Harry relaxes at Louis’ words and nods. He walks over to the curtains and closes them, leaving the only source of light from the dimmed lamp in the corner. Harry pops his head back into the room finding Louis already dozing off and quietly closes the door.

***

The room is pitch black the next time Louis wakes up. He blinks the sleep out of his eyes and carefully maneuvers himself out of bed without jostling his ribs too much. He feels like the pain has increased tenfold now that he's had a chance to rest. Louis hisses as he stands upright and holds his ribs as he traipses out of Harry's bedroom. 

The entire flat is stygian, so soundless it's almost eerie. _How long have I been out?_ "Harry?" Louis whispers, slowly making his way down the hallway. Maybe he was still at the store. 

Louis has to swallow the bile in his mouth when he rounds the corner and finds the lanky male pale and lifeless on the living room floor in a pool of his own blood, multiple bullet holes oozing blood from his head and neck."HARRY!" Louis makes a run for Harry, ignoring the pain in his side and his head but an almost demonic voice stops him cold.

"You think you could run from me, Louis?" An all too familiar voice speaks. _Jayce._ Louis whips around looking for his abuser but the flat is so dark he can barely see his own hands. 

"J-Jayce, wh-what did you do!?" Louis shrieks, wincing at the searing pain in his side.

"Do you take me as a fool, cumslut?" Jayce hisses, remaining unseen as he lurks in the shadows.

Louis' body has gone cold, chills running up his spine as he backs into a corner. He searches frantically around the living room for any sign of his abuser. He can't find Jayce anywhere and it’s making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He knows he's in the flat somewhere and he's terrified to even make a move for the door. He shot Harry! Who's to say he wouldn't shoot him next!?

"J-Jayce please," Louis pleads. "I...you were gonna kill me and _your_ baby...I-I had to leave."

"BULLSHIT!" The violent man roars causing Louis to shudder with trepidation. "You've been fucking this prick for months and you thought you could pass that abomination off as mine!?"

His voice is getting closer, lingering in the still air. Louis' heart rate is increasing by every second. This is his last night on earth, he just knows it. He's not gonna make it to the next day. 

Louis yelps as he's suddenly grabbed from behind and thrown across the floor, his head colliding with the corner of the wall. The smell of blood is pungent in his nose and he instantly realizes he’s bleeding again. His is mind is fuzzy and his vision blurs from the impact as he searches frantically for his attacker. 

The broad-shouldered man appears out of the darkness. From Louis' view he looks menacing, five times larger than his normal appearance as he glares down at the frightened man. Held Jayce's right hand was a Ruger sr22. Louis’ eyes widen as Jayce crouches down in front of Louis and presses the barrel of the gun between his eyes.

“You have a death wish, Louis Tomlinson.” 

Louis’ starting to hyperventilate, terrified to fight back. One slight movement and his attacker could pull the trigger. “J-Jayce, please…” Louis sobs. “Pl-Please don’t kill me—don’t kill my baby…I’m sorry! I’m sorry I left! I’ll come back to you! I’m yours forever! I swear, I just—” Louis chokes on his tears. “Please, please, please don’t.” 

Jayce cocks the gun and presses the barrel harder against Louis’ face enough to leave a mark and places his finger over the trigger. "Too late."

Tears continue to trickle town his face as he takes a shuttering breath and closes his eyes, hands falling to his baby bump as he says one last prayer. _I love you, Harry._ The sound of a gunshot goes and everything goes stark white.

Louis jolts awake in a cold sweat, body trembling and eyes wide. Harry's staring at Louis with apprehension, his own jade eyes wide as he explores the pregnant man's features. 

"You're alive!" Louis cries, making a bold move to reach out and touch Harry's cheek. Everything suddenly hits him and he starts sobbing, the dream seemingly so real. 

"Oh, Louis," Harry coos, toeing off his shoes and climbing into bed. He carefully pulls Louis against his thin frame and wraps his lanky arms around the trembling man. "You had a bad dream, none of it was real."

Louis hiccups as he buries his face in Harry's chest. "It...all...seemed so...r-real," he pants. 

Harry tightens his hold around Louis carefully and rubs soothing circles into his back. Harry nearly had a heart attack when he returned home and heard screams coming from his bedroom. He thought Louis’ ex-boyfriend had found him. "None of it is real. You're safe. No one's gonna harm you, Louis I promise."

Louis wishes he could believe those words. Harry doesn't know what Jayce is capable of. He needs to go back...for the sake of his baby’s life—for the sake of Harry’s. He won't let someone die on account of him.

"I n-need to go b-back, Harry," Louis sniffles. 

"Absolutely not!" Harry exclaims. He pulls away a bit to stare at Louis like he's gone mental. "He'll kill you, Louis. I won't let that happen."

"But he'll kill _you_ , Harry! I can't--I _won't_ let that happen." Louis starts to sob again, inhaling choked breaths as his mind reels.

"Hey now," Harry whispers, carding his fingers through Louis' hair and presses a chaste kiss to his forehead. Whatever he dreamed about has really shaken him up. "He's not gonna kill me nor is he gonna kill you, I promise.”

"B-but—

"Shh," the curly brunette coos, pulling Louis as close as he can against his body. "Don't think about it anymore. I'm alive, see?" Harry grabs Louis' hand and places it over his heart.

Louis feels the steady rhythm of Harry's heartbeat and it's enough to calm him down for now. "You're alive...."  
"I'm alive," Harry assures. "And so are you and so is your baby."

Louis nods, his eyes falling heavy. The turmoil from his nightmare and practical panic attack has wore him out. He's in pain but it's not enough to disrupt the comfort and warmth of being in Harry's arms. "Don't leave me..."

"Never," Harry promises. 

"Just stay...."

"Always."

Louis drifts back to sleep with Harry's promises flitting through his mind. He dreams of living in an alternative universe where Harry's his husband and the baby he's carrying belongs to him. His dreams are enough to push him through the nightmare he's living. Louis has a feeling that sleeping in Harry's arms is going to be the only way he'll be able to keep the nightmares away. And he might just be fine with that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you sure you want Harry in here, Louis?" Dr. Kratz asks a final time, the hand holding the transducer hovering over Louis' bump.
> 
> To Harry it was like pulling teeth to get Louis to agree that he'll drive him to his ultrasound. Had Dr. Kratz's office not phoned Harry's line—the only line Louis could temporarily be reached at—reminding Louis of his appointment, Harry wouldn't have known Louis had even scheduled the ultrasound. Luckily the curly brunette was one step ahead of him and stopped Louis before he could leave the flat. Harry just couldn't bear the thought of Louis walking the London streets alone and stumbling into Jayce. After a screaming match—the screaming coming from Louis mostly—and one hormonal breakdown, Louis finally agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter for you lovelies :)
> 
> I've received a few ideas for further chapters and I'm still debating whether or not I'm going to run with them! :)
> 
> A major thanks to all those who have been reading and bookmarked this story! You guys are my biggest inspirations and keep a smile on my face!!

Louis smiles sadly as he stares into Harry's floor length mirror and rubs his impressive bump. He's twenty weeks now, or so he thinks. Jayce wouldn't allow him the monthly check ups that he needed so he had to use his own calculations and the calendar on his phone to keep track. Ever since his near death experience, Louis had lost track of anything pregnancy related.

"How far along are you?" Harry asks from the doorway.

Louis jumps, startled at the interruption. He quickly drops his hand from his belly and pulls Harry's tee over his swell. "Erm...I don't know."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Harry says sheepishly, stepping deeper into the room. "When was your last ultra sound?"

Louis bites his lip and flushes. He doesn't know why he’s so embarrassed but he is. "I've only had one and it was the day you pulled me out of the street."

Harry immediately senses Louis' discomfiture and approaches Louis. He hesitates for a moment before he wraps his arms around the pregnant man and pulls him against his chest. "Hey, it's okay. There's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Louis' a bit troubled that Harry can read him so well. "This baby is counting on me to bring it into the world and I'm failing," Louis mumbles into Harry's chest.

Harry pulls away enough to stare down at the distraught man. He smiles softly and it always sends Louis reeling. "Oh, Louis, just because you missed a few ultra sounds doesn't make you a failure. There are thousands of men and women out there who have gone their entire pregnancy not knowing they were carrying and have delivered health babies."

Louis purses his lips and stares at the pattern of Harry's scoop neck tee. Louis' been staying with Harry for the past few weeks and while he has his moments of hesitation with the curly brunette; the gratitude he has for him is monumental. Harry's been nothing but amazing to Louis and he’ll forever be in the younger’s debt for that. Harry's held Louis every night since his first nightmare and Harry refused to let Louis sleep alone since.

Harry works four days week but on his days off he watches movies with Louis and waits on him hand and foot. The Cheshire lad just wants Louis to be comfortable with him—show Louis that not every guy is like Jayce. He's certain Louis isn't ready for a relationship and Harry's not looking for one but if the tables were to suddenly turn and Louis was looking to be more than friends with Harry than he’ll love Louis with every fiber of his being. Hell, he might already be in love with him now.

Louis doesn't look like he believes Harry. He’s doubting himself again. Louis doubts himself quite often and Harry tries to make Louis believe otherwise. "Why don't we set an appointment for this afternoon or later this week and get a proper check up for your baby, yeah?"

"It's not my baby but yes, I need a proper check up," Louis answers with a nod.

Harry furrows his brows and takes a step back. "I'm sorry, I'm not following."

Louis sighs and folds his arms over his chest. "I'm giving the baby up for adoption, Harry." Louis avoids Harry's face after the words leave his mouth and quickly exits the bedroom before Harry can say utter another word.

"What?" Harry's whispers to himself before taking off after Louis. “Wait, you're giving up your baby!?" Louis winces at Harry's tone. Loud noises still frighten him. Harry's face drops when he realizes what he's done. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"It's okay," Louis murmurs. He grabs the cartoon of orange of juice out of the fridge and a glass out of the cupboard and glances up at Harry as he pours the liquid. Harry's leaning against the wall facing the kitchen, eyes wide with concern and...something else—hurt maybe? _No. No, Harry, please don't look like that._ "Harry, I...Jayce raped me--has been raping me for awhile. How am I supposed to raise a child; _love_ the child if they're a spitting image of my rapist? It's like living the nightmare forever. I can't do that."

Harry purses his lips as he listens to Louis' explanation. Louis _does_ have a point but it wasn't the child's fault. For one thing he's glad Louis hasn't abort the fetus—it’s too late anyway but at least he’s giving the baby a chance to have a life. Harry wonders if Louis knows he’s more than willing to help Louis raise the baby; show him that the baby can have two loving parents. The younger male is thinking selfishly, he knows, but he just wants to give Louis _and_ his baby a better life.

"You're right, Louis. I guess I didn't see that side of the situation, I'm sorry."

Louis sips at his orange juice, peering up at Harry every few seconds and nods curtly. "I have to find a job. I can't keep living on your salary. It doesn't feel right."

Harry can't stop Louis from making that decision although he desperately wants to tell him that he makes more than enough to support both of them. "If that’s what you want to do, then I’m coming with you. I don't want you job hunting alone."

"Harry, I appreciate the gesture, but you can't protect me all the time."

"Your ex is out there doing god knows what to find you and you expect me to just let you leave this flat on your own, _pregnant_ might I add?" Harry argues. He keeps his voice leveled as he remains stationary against the wall. 

He doesn't want to smother Louis with his constant concern although he feels he already has but he's terrified if he lets the pregnant lad out of his sight, his attacker will find him and Harry won't be able to save him next time.

Louis sighs and scrubs at his face. His eyes sting with tears and before he can stop them, the tears come pouring out. He slides down the floor against the cupboards and curls his arms around his knees. "I'm a fucking wreck."

Harry frowns, feeling his heart crack. Louis' tears are his weakness though he'll never tell Louis that. He walks over to the sobbing man and crouches down. He gently pulls Louis' hands away from his face and thumbs away the tears. "It's okay to feel that way, Lou. You're overcoming a traumatic experience, trying to get your life back together. No one blames you if you're a wreck. For what it's worth, I think you're the strongest, most courageous man I've ever met. You're strong for enduring all the hurt and torment the bastard’s made you go through. You're courageous for doing whatever it takes to keep you and your baby alive. Most people would have given up by now, Lou, but you haven't. You've kept going—found the will to see another day. So no, Louis Tomlinson, you're not a wreck, you're perfect."

Louis gasps, studying Harry's expression for any false bravado. "You believe in me." It's not a question, it's a statement though Louis wonders why Harry does.

"I do," Harry concedes, plopping down next Louis and tossing an arm around his shoulder.

Louis snuggles into Harry's side and revels in his comfort. He wraps his arms around his swell and purses his lips. Is adoption the right thing to do? S'not like he was a careless teen that accidentally got knocked up. _No, it's worse. You were fucking raped._ Louis flinches at his subconscious and sighs. He's living in someone else's home on their salary. He can't afford a baby even if he wants to keep it. This baby deserves a better life.

***  
"Are you sure you want Harry in here, Louis?" Dr. Kratz asks a final time, the hand holding the transducer hovering over Louis' bump.

To Harry it was like pulling teeth to get Louis to agree that he'll drive him to his ultrasound. Had Dr. Kratz's office not phoned Harry's line—the only line Louis could temporarily be reached at—reminding Louis of his appointment, Harry wouldn't have known Louis had even scheduled the ultrasound. Luckily the curly brunette was one step ahead of him and stopped Louis before he could leave the flat. Harry just couldn't bear the thought of Louis walking the London streets alone and stumbling into Jayce. After a screaming match—the screaming coming from Louis mostly—and one hormonal breakdown, Louis finally agreed.

So here they were, Louis lying on the exam table and Harry sitting next to him as the doctor questions Louis once again. 

"I'm sure," Louis nods with a smile, turning to Harry and holding out his hand. The younger male returns his smile with a dimpled one and interlaces their fingers together. 

Louis feels an electric spark when their hands interlock and he tries not to let his admiration show. _Relax, Louis. Friends hold hands all the time. He's here for moral support. That's it._ He won’t admit it to Harry of course, but he's glad Harry's here with him. He's been his rock from day one if it weren't for Harry's strong hold in his own, he'll probably have another breakdown.

"Alright here we go," the doctor remarks and presses the wand to Louis belly. She taps at the keys until the screen appears in black and white. She moves the wand a bit lower and beams when a white mass appears. "Ah, there we are."

Louis' eyes widen as a tiny body comes into focus. The little baby has fingers and toes and a little skull. It doesn't look like the little blip he saw the one time he was able to get an ultrasound before Jayce cut him off. This was a living, breathing human inside Louis. "Oh my god," Louis croaks, eyes welling with tears. His free hand touches the screen, finger tips running over the glass. "Hi, little one."

Harry has to blink away his own tears. Seeing Louis so mesmerized at the sight of the fetus makes his heart swell. How could he give up something so precious? He wants to tell Louis not to give up the baby; that he'll help him raise it. Louis can learn to love the baby right? The baby has a fifty percent chance of being Louis' spitting image. Why can't he take that chance?

"Are they okay?" Louis whispers, eyes leaving the screen to look at the doctor. He's taken more falls than any pregnancy should be able to handle.

"They're perfectly healthy, Louis. Your uterus looks great and the baby is the right size for twenty two weeks," Dr. Kratz explains. "However, I'm concerned about this little one's heart rate. From twenty weeks to full term, a fetus' heart rate should be between 120 and 160 beats per minute. Your baby's heart rate currently in the 160 range."

Louis feels his heart drop into his belly and he feels like he's going to be sick. He squeezes Harry's hand as he listens to his obstetrician explain the complications. "Wh-what does that mean? Why is their heart rate so high?"

"It's usually brought on by stress to the mum," the doctor replies. "Have you been in stressful situations recently?"

Louis pales at that and flicks his gaze to Harry. He gives the pregnant man a reassuring smile as if encouraging Louis to tell Dr. Kratz what's been going on.

"I..." Louis chokes on his words. "My ex was abusing me. He um...he broke a few of my bones and put me in the hospital more than once."

"While you're pregnant?" The woman questions.

"Yes," Louis nods, eyes welling with tears. "The last time he kicked me in my ribs—would have kicked me in my belly if I hadn't blocked it." He doesn't want to talk about this any longer. He just wants to curl into himself and imagine himself in a different world.

"He's been living with me," Harry pipes in, rising from the chair and pulling Louis into side, avoiding Louis' gelled belly. The pregnant man curls his arms around Harry's torso and sobs into his shirt. He tries to sooth Louis, running his fingers through Louis' hair and massaging his scalp. "He's been through a lot and I promised him he wouldn't get placed in that environment again. I'm gonna take care of him and his baby."

Dr. Kratz studies the interaction and gives Harry a look, a silent question as to whether or not they’re a couple. Harry shakes his head albeit reluctantly. He wishes he could say they were a couple—that Louis wasn't going to give the baby up for adoption. 

"As long as you take it easy, Louis, your baby's heart rate will return to normal and you'll have a healthy delivery. Continue to eat three decent meals daily and exercise regularly and we'll see improvement in the fetus, okay?"

Louis nods against Harry's shirt, wiping his tears away. Harry rubs Louis' back and presses a chaste kiss to the top of his head. "S'alright, Lou. The baby's okay. You've done so well so far."

The older male pulls away to look up at Harry. He looks like an angel from his view the way his chocolate curls frame his face and his jade eyes sparkle. "Really?"  
"Really, really," Harry beams. 

"We're done with the heavy information, Louis," Dr. Kratz states. "Would you like to know the gender?"

Louis perks up at that and cracks a smile. "Yes, please."

The petite woman moves the wand again pressing a little harder to get the baby to move their legs. "Looks like you're gonna have a little boy."

Louis' face splits into a huge grin. "A boy."

"A boy!" Harry echoes. 

Louis giggles and nods, turning to stare at the screen. The baby boy is holding onto his umbilical cord and Louis has to fight back the tears. He'll blame the hormones later but having the opportunity to watch his son interact on the screen makes him emotional. _My son?_ The tears in his eyes are suddenly for an entirely different reason. Louis' starting to regret knowing the gender. Why would he want to know the gender of a child he'll only know for mere seconds before he's given to his new family?

Harry squeezes Louis' hand, knowing Louis' inner turmoil. Now's not the time to discuss this but maybe he'll be able to get Louis to change his mind. "When does Louis need to return?"

"As long as Louis remains in a stress free environment, I'll only need to see him monthly until the last month right before he delivers."

"He'll take it easy," Harry declares.

"I hope so," Dr. Kratz sings, grabbing a towel and wiping off Louis' belly. 

"I need to start making arrangements," Louis mutters to Harry. 

Harry sighs but nods. "We will, don’t worry."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis’ eyes widen and his eyes well once again with tears but for an entirely different reason. “Y-You love me?”
> 
> “Yes,” Harry nods, closing his eyes and letting out a small giggle. “From day one. I didn’t care that you were pregnant with someone else’s baby. I just…I knew I found my other half when I saw you. My heart skipped a beat when you smiled at me for the first time. I just knew… I just knew I had to have you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ READ READ!!!!
> 
> Okay! So there's smut in this chapter! YAY! :P It's fluffy smut so I tried to make it as sweet and sensual as I could! Please don't kill me if it's not to your liking! I tried, I really did!
> 
> So I've been thinking of how Louis should deliver he and Harry's son but I thought I'd let my readers choose! :P Should he......
> 
> a) Have a homebirth  
> b) A typical hospital birth  
> c) Water birth  
> d) A suggestion from one of you! :P
> 
> I'm curious to know what you guys want to see happen! :D So please please please VOTE or leave a comment with a suggestion! :D PLEASE VOTE!!!

"This is bloody difficult, Ni!" Louis huffs into the phone as he scrolls through anxious families waiting to adopt. "All these couples look like they'll make wonderful parents."

"No one said giving up Peanut was going to be easy, Lou," the Irish man replies. 

"Stop calling him peanut, Niall. You know that's not his name!"

"Why are you even giving him up?" Niall remarks. "You know you can come live with me. I'll help you raise him! We'll be like a cute, domestic couple."

Only Louis doesn't want to be a 'cute, domestic couple' with Niall. He wants all that with Harry. He knows the curly brunette has been avoiding him. He's gone to work more than four times a week and the times that he's home, he'll spend at most an hour with Louis before claiming that he's tired and they should call it a night. One thing that hasn't changed and Louis' grateful for is the fact that Harry still holds him at night. He wouldn't know what to do if those tender embraces suddenly stopped. 

"As appealing as that sounds, I'm gonna decline. You know my feelings toward Harry," Louis responds, lowering his voice as if Harry was eavesdropping. He isn't off for another two hours.

"I don't understand why you haven't told him how you feel about him. You gush about his perfect physique and sparkling eyes to me every chance you get!" 

Louis flushes and can't stop the smile spreading across his face. "Am I that obvious?"

"From the sound of it, yes," Niall laughs. "I haven't seen you in months Lou. You know I went to Jayce's house to see if you were alive? I practically had a heart attack when he told that he hasn't seen you _or_ your baby in a month. Hell, Lou, I didn’t even know you were pregnant. Imagine my surprise, yeah?"

Louis' blood runs cold at the name of his attacker. "D-Did he seem remorseful at all?"

Niall chews on his lip and sighs. "Lou..."

"What, Niall? What is it?" Louis panics when he senses the hesitance in his best mate’s voice. The man may have beaten up on Louis but that doesn't mean he still didn't love him. "Did something happen to him?"

"Someone else answered the door, Lou."

It feels like the world stops turning at the newfound information. _Someone else? Like a family member? One of his buddies?_ A million thoughts plague Louis' mind as he tries to process the information. "S-Someone else? Like who, Niall?"

"Like another guy, Louis," Niall replies. He mentally beats himself up for opening his big mouth. "He sort of looked a lot like you, it was a bit creepy."

Louis shakes his head. He doesn't believe this— _can’t_ believe it. He had disappeared for two months and he’s already replaced. Well, that confirms Louis’ suspicion as to whether or not Jayce may have actually loved him. For Christ’s sake he found a replacement him! "No!"

"Louis, you've got to calm down," Niall berates. "Fuck, I shouldn't have told you."

The baby inside Louis stirs and kicks at his insides noticing his mum's change in mood. Louis kneads the side of his belly hoping it'll calm down all the movements. "No, Ni, I needed to know."

Niall and Louis had been friends for over a decade. He knows what moves Louis will make before Louis even knows. "Louis, don't you dare do anything stupid, you hear me? Think about Peanut. You've made it past the second trimester and you need to make it to the third."

Niall was right. It had been an uphill battle but Louis soared through his six month and now he was two weeks into his seventh. Dr. Kratz even said Louis was doing well, that the baby was no longer in distress. He has Harry to thank for that. If it weren't for the younger male attending to his every beck and call, let alone allowing him to live with him, who's to say if the baby would have survived at all? 

"I'm not going to do anything stupid, Niall," Louis mutters as he closes the laptop and wiggles off the bed. Now that he's got an actual swell, the baby makes him waddle. He predicts he’s going to be all belly by the time he delivers.

Niall narrows his eyes as he listens to the rustling on the other line. "Louis?" Niall warns. "What are you doing?"

"Jesus, mate, relax, I'm going to the kitchen," the pregnant man lies smoothly, slipping on his vans and pulling a light jumper over his tee. He rubs his belly and murmurs to his baby, smiling when he finds a comfortable position and settles. His baby's never this active. Maybe he knows something's up. "I just gotta see for myself, Ni. I gotta go."

"Louis, don't you d—

Louis ends the call before Niall could finish and places the phone on the jack. He sighs to himself and fights the tears burning in the back of his eyes.

Louis' hurt. He's hurt at the fact that Jayce spent the last seven months beating him and mottling his body with countless bruises only to find out that the fucker has found someone else, not to mention someone that looks just like Louis. If that isn't a sign that Jayce still loves him then he doesn't know what is. 

Louis scribbles a note to Harry and pins it to the icebox before grabbing the spare key and leaving the flat. The air is a bit brisk but it's nice enough to take a walk. Louis' ankles ache and he’ll regret the treacherous walk later but he needs to witness this for himself. He lets out a long sigh before taking off for the tube.

He feels like he's ran a marathon when he steps onto the tube. His lungs burn and his body aches but he’s made it. A teen with purple hair offers her seat up for Louis and he gratefully accepts it, letting out a huff and kneading the sides of his belly. 

"How far along are you?" Purple-haired girl asks.

"Thirty weeks," Louis replies, rubbing the top of his belly. 

"Not long now until they're born yeah?" She giggles. "Do you have a name?"

"Oh, erm....I'm giving him up for adoption." Louis flushes and avoids her gaze. 

The teenager isn't judgmental. She smiles politely with a nod and pats Louis' bump. "Well everyone has their reasons and I'm sure your baby will be loved."

"Thank you," Louis murmurs with a small smile. The tube stops at Louis' destination and the girl has to help Louis when she notices him struggling to a stand. He smiles sheepishly and waddles out of the tube. 

Louis' heart is thundering in his chest when his old flat complex comes into focus. Every fiber of his being is telling him to turn around now; go back to Harry's, endure the lecture he's bound to get and find a nice a family for his baby.

Louis pushes all the wayward thoughts away and crosses the street to his complex. His body visibly shakes when he takes the lift to the fifteenth floor. Louis knows he'll have minimal escape options if something goes wrong. _This is stupid! Go back to Harry’s. Forget Jayce._

The lift dings and Louis steps out, waddling his way to flat 1510. He can hear faint voices on the other side of the door. He swears he can hear giggling and that makes Louis' belly churn. He can't recall the last time he giggled with Jayce. 

_Turn around, Louis. Go back to Harry's and forget this ever happened._ Louis ignores his subconscious and before he can stop himself, his knuckles are rapping against the door.

The giggles abruptly stop and a cheery, 'I'll be right there!" echoes in response before the door swings open. Louis gasps when he sees a brunette haired, blue eyed man standing before him. It's uncanny how much they look alike. Louis doesn’t know if he wants to vomit or slap the twink. 

"Hi, can I help you?" Louis' clone asks, a bright smile on his face. The clone’s cheeks are flushed and his hair is an unruly mess. Louis’ pushes the bile down as he imagines what the kid and Jayce were up to before Louis interrupted. 

The baby can sense Louis' tension and kicks frantically. Louis stands his ground and stares at the boy regardless. "Do...d-do you live here?" Louis asks.

The kid eyes Louis' figure before smiling brightly. Perhaps this stranger needs help with directions. "I do, love. My name's Connor, what's yours?"

"S'not important," Louis muttered. "I..." Louis' voice leaves the moment he sees Jayce lurking behind Connor. His blood runs cold at the menacing look his attacker is giving him. He shakes his head and rubs his belly, trying to ease the frantic fetus within."Erm…good luck, mate."

Louis' heart drops the moment Connor's face flashes with recognition and Jayce's expression turns feral. He takes off for the lift before Jayce could make a move. He yelps when he feels a large hand grip his shoulder and yank him back. He doesn't have time to react before he's shoved up against the nearest wall and a hand is wrapped around his throat cutting off his air supply.

"You really should have stayed away, you stupid fuck," Jayce hisses, grip tightening around Louis' neck. “You must have a death wish.”

Louis' vision begins to blur again and he believes this is truly it for him. He claws at his attacker's arm, using what strength he can to pry Jayce's hand off his neck. He can hear someone yelling in the distance; pleading maybe? Suddenly, there's a hoarse yell and the hand disappears.

Louis collapses to the floor and clutches his throat, coughing uncontrollably. He glances up and sees Jayce on the floor holding his nose, blood spewing between his fingers and a lanky figure hovering over him delivering blow after blow to his face and upper body. 

"You fucking touch Louis again and _you'll_ be the one in a body bag!" Harry roars as the tip of his hospital shoe connects with Jayce's stomach once more. 

"Stop! Stop!" Comes Connor's voice as he drops to his knees next to Jayce and holds his hand out in surrender. "No more, please!" 

"I suggest you leave before you end up bloodied and bruised," Harry warns to the young man defending Louis’ rapist. He turns to Louis and sees him lying on the floor, body convulsing from a panic attack. "Louis!" He drops to his knees and helps him upright. He pats his back and pushes his fringe out of his eyes. "Come on, Lou, breathe."

Louis hiccups and curls into Harry’s side, tears of betrayal and fright rolling down his cheeks. “J-Just get me out of here, pl-please.”

“Lemme take you to the hospital, get you and the baby checked out, yeah?” Harry suggests, hoisting Louis off the floor and curling an arm around his waist.

Louis wipes the tears with the back of his hand and shakes his head. “W-We’re fine, let’s just go. Please.” Harry nods and helps Louis to the lift.

***

“Louis, what were you bloody thinking?!” Harry berates.

The pregnant man cowers in on himself as he nurses a cup of tea on the sofa. He’s got a blanket wrapped around himself and _Grease_ playing in the background. He knew this lecture was bound to happen. He was glad that Harry hadn’t snapped at him when they first returned to his flat. The poor lad was so shaken up that Harry had to hold him the rest of the day, coaching him through three panic attacks before he finally settled down. Louis barely uttered three words since the incident and the curly brunette feared that the traumatic experience had emotionally wrecked Louis.

“M’sorry, Harry, really,” Louis finally speaks. “I…Niall told me Jayce found someone else and like… I needed to see for myself, y’know?”

Harry tries to stifle a sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose. “When Niall called me, my heart stopped, Louis,” The frantic man explains. He’s pacing his living room, doing everything in best interest not to convey his true concern and love for the pregnant man. “I thought…I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to help you this time. A-And then I get there and he’s bloody choking you!”

Louis winces at Harry’s tone and averts his gaze to the mug. He’ll admit it was a foolish move to go to Jayce’s apartment alone. It tore at Louis to find out that Jayce found someone else in two seconds flat. Was Louis not enough for him? Was he just some puppet Jayce could manipulate and when he finally couldn’t take it anymore, he goes and seeks someone else out?

Tears prick at Louis’ eyes and he sniffles. “I just don’t get it. A-Am I not good enough to be loved? Is God punishing me?”

Harry’s heart breaks and he sits next to Louis. He gently takes the mug from him and sets it on the glass table. Harry holds Louis’ hands in his and shakes his head. “You’re worth all the stars in the universe, Louis, why can’t you see that? Jayce is an arse for what he did to you.”

Louis wants to believe, Harry, he truly does but he’s been contemplating life since he realized he wasn’t in the right relationship. From the time he was young, he had pictured being married to his soul mate, sharing the experience of raising children with them. But then he met Jayce and all of his dreams were shot to hell. “I’ll never see it, Harry.”

Louis’ caught off guard when Harry leans in and presses his lips against Louis’. He’s frozen where he sits, afraid to reciprocate. Harry pulls away just as quickly as he kisses the pregnant man, eyes wide and frenzied. He’s nervous that he may have just ruined whatever it was he and Louis have. His apprehension is relieved when he feels Louis’ hand cup his cheek and pull Harry back into a tender kiss. His eyes flutter shut as he surrenders himself to the feel of soft lips. He tangles his fingers through Louis’ messy strands, deepening the kiss. Louis pulls away when a moan slips through his lips and stares at the curly brunette, perplexed.

“H-Harry?”

“I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you, Lou,” Harry murmurs, stroking Louis’ cheek with his thumb. “Y-You’re so beautiful—so perfect and you deserve everything in the world. I can be that person to give it to you—to give it to your baby.”

Louis swallows and drops his gaze to his lap. “I…I.” Louis’ at a loss for words. Kissing Harry was like watching a sunset; so beautiful and mesmerizing. His heart is beating so fast he thinks it’s going to jump right out of his chest. His mind is telling him to walk away but is heart is telling him otherwise. 

“I…I think I’m in love with you,” Harry whispers, a small smile at his lips, eyes full of wonder and adoration.

Louis’ eyes widen and his eyes well once again with tears but for an entirely different reason. “Y-You love me?”

“Yes,” Harry nods, closing his eyes and letting out a small giggle. “From day one. I didn’t care that you were pregnant with someone else’s baby. I just…I knew I found my other half when I saw you. My heart skipped a beat when you smiled at me for the first time. I just knew… I just knew I had to have you.”

Louis lets out a garbled laugh and shakes his head. “But why? Y-You can’t possibly love me, Harry. I’m broken and used…”

“No, Louis. God, no,” Harry quickly assures. “You’re so much more than that. Your smile lights up a room, your laugh makes my heart melt. Your eyes…oh, God, your eyes are the most beautiful thing on the planet. Hell, _you’re_ the most beautiful thing on the planet.”

Louis’ staring at Harry like he’s grown two heads. _The most beautiful thing on the planet?_ Surely, he’s not staring at the man who’s bloated and swollen, been beaten within an inch of his life and bruised to the point of no recognition. Maybe it’s time to swallow his past, jump head on into something worth living for. 

Louis peers up at Harry and inches closer to him. His hand trembles as it makes its way up to Harry’s neck. "Then love me, Harry…please?" Louis murmurs, threading his fingers through Harry's curls to pull him closer.

"Fuck, you don't even have to ask," Harry groans and reaches for Louis' hips, yanking the pregnant man onto his lap so he was straddling his hips. Louis' bump prevents them from getting as close as either of them would like but it doesn't even matter. By the end of the night, Louis will know that they’ll be closer than ever.

Louis takes the time to explore Harry's features, fingers mapping out his face as they travel across his eyelids, over his cheek bones and finally rest at Harry's lips. "So beautiful..."

"No, Lou, _you're_ the beautiful one," Harry whispers, rubbing Louis' sides.

Louis flushes and looks down at his bump overcrowding Harry's lap. He's not beautiful. He's bloated and hormonal and a pudgy mess. He doesn't even realize he says the words out loud until Harry's lips are on his again and his hands are trailing down Louis' back, kneading at his backside.

"You have no idea what your body does to me, Lou," Harry breathes. Louis moans as he Harry squeezes Louis' arse. "Makes me want to take you to bed and fuck you until you can't remember your own name."

Louis gasps at Harry's words, his cock stirring in his joggers. He can't remember the last time sex felt good to him. It was always a chore whenever Jayce fucked him. 9 times out of 10, he didn't even get to come. 

"Y-Yes..." Louis finds himself saying. "Fuck me, Harry. Please fuck me..."

Harry's own cock twitches at the need in Louis' voice. He's imagined this scene a million times over but he never thought this day would finally come. Harry grabs Louis' jaw and kisses him deeply, tongue running over Louis' bottom lip. The pregnant man moans softly and opens his mouth, groaning at the drag of Harry's tongue against his. 

Louis' a bit hesitant with reciprocation. He's not used to feeling this way—never feeling like he was in control. It was always Jayce's pleasure, not his. Louis gasps when he feels Harry palm him through his trackies and arches into the touch, going pliant in his arms. 

"Oh, God... H-Harry," Louis moans, eyes fluttering shut as revels in Harry's expert touch. "F-Feels so...ngh...good."

"Yeah?" Harry murmurs breathlessly into Louis' ear using his free hand to knead and squeeze at Louis' arse while he continues to palm Louis. "Tell me what you want, baby. This is all about you."

Louis' eyes pop open at that. All about him? He's never been given that option before. He doesn't know exactly _what_ he wants. "I...I don't know," he finally answers, face falling. All movements stop from Harry and Louis finds himself wanting to cry. 

"Hey, now." Harry's quick to push away Louis' heartache. He frames Louis' face in his hands and leans forward, pressing his lips ever so gently against Louis’. "I'm not like him, Lou. I'll _never_ be like him. Having sex with the one you love is about sharing the intimacy—making sure it’s good for the both of us. I just want you to experience it to the fullest and if you need help, s'okay."

Louis blinks away the tears and gives a watery smile with a nod. "I...wanna ride you." His face goes pink as the words fall out of his mouth and he has to fight with himself not get off Harry's lap and run.

Harry's cock hardens beneath Louis’ bum, responding to his unanswered queries and it's enough to send shivers up his spine. "Fuck, Lou, yes, whatever you want."

"Can you...erm...?" Louis whisper unable to voice his desires, eyes fixated on Harry's chest as he nervously grinds his hips in figure eights, hoping Harry will figure out what he wants. 

"You want my fingers, baby?" Harry groans, the digits in question drifting pass his joggers to tease at his hole. Louis lets out a shuttering breath and nods. "Lift your hips for me, love." Louis eagerly complies and lets Harry grab the waistband of his joggers, pulling them down his legs. He wiggles them the rest of the way off while Harry scrambles out of his own clothes. 

Louis' eyes widen to the size of planets when he sees Harry’s cock. It's massive and for a moment, Louis' worries whether or not he'll be able to take all of Harry. He _wants_ to, oh God, does he want to but... "Jesus, you're huge."

Harry blushes and giggles and Louis could never tire of that sound. "Thanks, love, you're pretty big yourself."

"In more ways than one," Louis chuckles nervously and tries to crawl back onto Harry's lap with grace but his belly but makes the simple task embarrassing. Harry smiles softly and grabs Louis' hips, situating him back onto his lap. 

"We’re gonna take this slow, yeah?" Harry whispers and leans forward, sucking a mark against Louis' neck. “Want you to feel it all.” Louis' nods twists his hands into Harry's curls, tugging softly at the strands.

"Want your fingers, Harry," Louis moans, opening his eyes to give Louis a heated look. "I mean, please?"

Harry pulls off Louis' neck, satisfied with the bright red mark in its wake. "I'm not like him, baby. Please don't be afraid to speak your mind. Tell me what you want, love. I'll give you the world."

Louis' heart swells from Harry's words. This man truly loves him, sees past all his faults. "Ok-kay."

Harry pecks Louis' lips and holds him against his body as he leans forward and retrieves a packet of lube and condom from the mini basket beneath the coffee table. Louis eyes the foiled packet as if it's offended him and glances up at Harry.

"What is it, Lou?" Harry asks furrowing his brows at the disconcerting look in Louis' eyes.

"Do we...erm do we have to use a condom? I mean, why the need? The worst that could happen has already happened." 

Harry smirks at that and rubs Louis' belly. "I wouldn’t say it’s the worst thing, Lou. Given the circumstances, this baby is already mine."

Louis gasps and he has an influx of adoration toward the curly brunette. Harry wants Louis to keep the baby. He's already claimed the baby as his own. Something hot sparks in Louis, a new wave confidence washing over him. He grabs the back of Harry's neck and kisses him heatedly, pouring all the passion into it. He grinds his hips against Harry's crotch earning a guttural moan from the younger lad and Louis doesn't even realize Harry had been slicking up his fingers until he feels a digit press against his entrance.

Louis urges Harry on, pushing against the tip of his finger and gasping out when it breaches his hole. Louis whimpers against Harry's mouth when he feels a second finger slip inside and goes straight for his prostate. "O-ohh, f-fuck! There, Harry! Shit, r-right there."

Harry's dick hardens even more at the breathy moans slipping from Louis' lips. He gauges Louis' noises with his fingers. When he crooks them, Louis whimpers and when he scissors them, Louis lets out these breathy moans that drives Harry wild.

"Love the noises you make, Lou. So sexy," Harry breaths, nipping at Louis' neck. "Think you can take another?"

"Mhm," Louis mumbles, eyes shut, pure bliss etched in his features. He's never felt this much pleasure—felt this much love. His cock is swollen and flushed red. He doesn't think he'll last much longer. The poor lad has been traumatized from all that's happened between he and Jayce that his sex drive has been shamefully low throughout his pregnancy. He didn't have the energy nor the want to even get himself off. "Forget the fingers, Harry, just fuck me please."

Harry removes his fingers and uses what's left of the packet to slick up his cock. He curls an arm around Louis’s waist and lifts him up, lining his cock up with Louis' hole before lowering him down inch by inch.

Louis bites his lip as he's stretched past his limit. It burns but it’s not enough that he wants to stop. His breath is shaky as Harry continues to lower him down until his arse rests against Harry's thighs. He's incredibly full that he can't move. He's so overwhelmed that he doesn't realize he's crying until he feels Harry's hands on his face.

"What's wrong, baby?" Harry murmurs, thumbing away the tears and pressing kisses in their wake. "Shit, am I hurting you?"

"N-no," he sniffs. "You f-feel good. You're huge," he adds. "I just... No one's taken care of me so well like you have a-and I know I don't have a lot to compare it to considering I've only been with one other person but..."

Harry leans forward and presses his lips to Louis, kissing all his worries and inner turmoil away. "I love you, too, Lou."

Louis smiles softly and rests his forehead against Harry's. "You can move now."

Harry obliges, planting his feet against the feet of the table while he wraps his arms around Louis' back and thrusts up, causing Louis to cry out. He bites his lip quickly, face blushing in embarrassment. The noises falling from his lips are foreign to him and judging by the way Harry’s cock twitches inside him, he’s enjoying every sound that leaves his mouth. 

Harry can feel the baby’s movements against his abdomen and smiles, one hand dropping to cup Louis' swell. He takes it slow, finding a decent rhythm and pistons his hips, pulling breathy moans from his lover. 

"Fuck, Haz, I'm close," Louis gasps out, hands gripping the back of the couch as he tries to match Harry thrust for thrust. He's braces his knees against the cushions for leverage and starts bouncing. Harry's so big he can feel him in his stomach. He's assaulting his prostate over and it feels _incredibly_ good. "Oh, God, Haz... shit, m’not gonna last."

"Me neither," Harry groans, pounding harder into the pregnant lad. Louis' squeezes him on every up stroke, milking Harry’s cock for what it’s worth as he lets out garbled cries. “Come with me, Lou.”

That does it for Louis and he cries out, cock spurting between their bodies just as he feels Harry coat his walls with his come. He collapses against Harry, panting as he tries to regain his composure. This was unlike anything with Jayce. He isn't sore and his body is shaking with after affects of his orgasm. The movements inside have him have stopped. The baby must have fallen asleep, the frantic moving from their lovemaking having lulled him to sleep.

"You're so beautiful, Louis," Harry whispers after a moment, rubbing soothing circles into his sweat slicked back. He peppers loving kisses along his face, murmuring sweet nothings as he does. 

"Mmm," Louis hums, eyes falling heavy. 

"Lemme take care of you, Lou—the both of you. Please?"

"Kay..."

"Keep the baby..."

"Kay..."

Harry chuckles but his heart swells with giddiness. Did Louis just agree to be his boyfriend as well as keep the baby? He'll have to ask him later when Louis' not so sex dazed and incoherent.

"We need to clean up," Harry says as an afterthought. "We're all sticky."

"Don't wanna move," Louis mumbles, snuggling closer. He's partially aware that Harry's still inside him but he doesn't mind. He wants to be connected to him in every way possible.

"Okay, love, you don't have to move," Harry chuckles. "You just rest, we’ll clean up later. I love you."

Those three words relax Louis and he finds himself dozing off before he can return the sentiment. Oh well, he knows he’ll have plenty of opportunities later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> DON'T FORGET TO VOTE PLEASE!!!!!!!
> 
> Louis at [thirty](http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm200/shayzeepoo/Pregnancy/30Weeks3Days.jpg) weeks if anyone was curious! :) I couldn't resist!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry laughs and pecks his lips before taking his hand and leaving the infant store. As the two walk hand in hand in the mall toward the food court, Louis can't help but blush at all the smiles he gets from bystanders. Jayce never took him out unless it was to the market and even then he was instructed to walk behind him and keep his eyes glued to the floor. He felt more like a slave than anything. 
> 
> "You're blushing," Harry notices when he glances down at his boyfriend. "If it's about your waddling then don't feel embarrassed, I think it's cute."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies!
> 
> My apologies for getting this out so late! :) I took a trip to Phoenix for the One Direction concert plus school is kicking my butt so I hadn't found the time to post! But to make it up to you all, I'm in the process of getting chapter 8 up and there's a long detailed birth in there for you too! :D
> 
> This one has a tiny bit of smut and a little bit of angst but I think it'll make up for my delay of posting!! :D Please leave comments and kudos! Thanks for reading!!

"How about Ethan?"

Louis grimaces with a shake of his head. "Too common. Calum?”

"That one's not bad," Harry admits. He bends over Louis' body and presses his face next to his belly, rubbing the swollen bump. "Do you like Calum, buddy?"

Louis laughs when Harry doesn't get a response and cards his fingers through his curls. "If we leave it up to the little one, he'll be Baby Styles forever."

The younger male stiffens at Louis' words, his heart swelling as he sits upright so quickly his head spins. "You said Baby Styles....as in Styles, my last name..."

Louis' cheeks go pink and he sits up higher on the sofa, back resting against the arm rest of the sofa. He twiddles his thumbs and peers up at Harry. "Erm...well that's what I was hoping his last name would be. You’re his father, you know."

Harry's grinning so widely his cheeks begin to hurt as he cups Louis' face and kisses him fervently. "I love you, Lou, you have no idea."

"I love you too, Harry, _you_ have no idea," Louis murmurs, running his thumb over his boyfriend's bottom lip. "You saved me."

Harry hums and kisses Louis' finger tip before leaning in further and capturing Louis' lips against his. Louis surrenders to the kiss, eyes fluttering shut as Harry's hands go on their own volition, rubbing down Louis' sides and beneath his bump, his fingers teasing the waistband of Louis' trackies. 

Louis' cock stirs as his boyfriend's hand creeps lower toward his cock. He gasps and arches his hips when Harry's hand suddenly slips beneath his boxer shorts and wraps around his cock. "F-Fuck, Haz! Wh...What...?"

"Shh, baby," Harry hushes, peppering kisses along his neck, leaving messy splotches in their wake as he starts to stroke him. "Just let go..."

Louis' eyes roll back as Harry’s hand picks up speed, twisting and flicking his hand in a desperate measure to get Louis to come. Louis’ fingers are clutching the cushions so tightly his knuckles are going white. His body is trembling and he feels that familiar coil in his belly entailing that he’s _so_ fucking close. "Oh god, Haz, m'not gonna last..."

"Come, baby, it’s okay" Harry whispers, squeezing Louis with every upstroke and massaging the bulbous head. All it takes is for Harry to run his thumb over the slit before Louis' gone, coming hard with a loud cry as his body arches off the sofa, body tensing with the affects of his orgasm. "Shit, babe, that was so fucking sexy." Harry laughs and removes his hand from his boyfriend's briefs. He's got Louis' spunk all over his hands and Louis grimaces at the mess, voice catching in his throat when Harry brings his hand to his mouth and licks it clean. "Mmm."

"Fuck, Haz, you're gonna get me hard again," Louis breathes.

Harry quirks a brow with a knowing smirk. "Already, babe? Jesus."

Louis blushes and feels like disappearing into the cushion. "S'my hormones, Harry. Blame your son."

"Never!" Harry laughs, pecking Louis' lips before pressing a kiss to the large bump and standing up. "You up to go out?"

"Out where?" Louis questions furrowing his brows. 

"I don't know, lunch, shopping, maybe get you a foot massage?"

Louis could groan in relief at the thought of the kinks worked out of his swollen ankles. "A foot massage does sound good and I and the baby could eat."

"Good!" Harry beams, holding his hands out for his pregnant lover. "Up you go."

Louis grabs Harry's arms and gets hoisted off the couch, losing his footing bit and stumbles into Harry's arms. Now that his bump is prominent and the baby’s sitting low in his pelvis, his equilibrium is a bit off. "God, I feel like a beached whale."

"Not even close," Harry whispers, leaning down to kiss his nose. "You're beautiful and sexy and pregnant with _my_ son that I can barely keep my hands off you."

Louis giggles, reaching up to caress Harry's curls. This man was so beautiful; Louis would often pinch himself to see if it was all a dream. How could someone so beautiful and so kind-hearted want someone as broken and used as Louis? He’s thought about this quite a bit that Harry's began to recognize his facial features and tries to get his mind out of the solemn stupor.

"Stop that," Harry scolds lightly, pulling Louis out of his thoughts. 

"Huh?" 

"You're doing it again," Harry points out. "Stop doubting yourself."

"You know I don't mean to," Louis whispers, feeling like a small child. He averts his gaze from Harry's and finds his eyes watering.

"Hey," Harry murmurs, lifting his chin so they're eye to eye. "You're not in that life anymore. You're with someone that loves you and your baby; someone that'll never lay a hand on you unless it's out of love, okay? I watch you fight with your inner demons nearly every day and it breaks my heart. It makes me want to obliterate that fucker for harming someone so amazing. You're everything, Louis, you _deserve_ everything and I'm gonna try to give you the world."

The tears fall down Louis' cheeks as he listens to his boyfriend confess his feelings over again. He sniffles and wraps his arms around Harry, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "You've given me the world just by breathing—by loving me, Hazza. That's all I want."

***

"Harry Styles, you put that outfit down right now," Louis playfully scolds. "That is hideous."

Harry frowns holding up the blue jumper with little snowmen on it. "But it's cute, Lou! Look at the little snowmen!"

"No," Louis shakes his head, stomping his foot like a stubborn child. "That's ugly. My son won't be caught dead in anything like that."

"Well then I guess he's gonna be naked for the first year. You've denied every outfit I've found," Harry says exasperatedly.

Louis stiffens at Harry's tone and shrinks into himself. He sets the few outfits he’s got in his hand back on the table and stares at the floor. "I m-mean whatever you want him to wear is fine."

Harry's face falls and he drops the outfit in favor of walking up to Louis and curling his arms around his large waist. He's terrified Louis' going to cower back into his shell; put up the front he’s desperately tried to get Louis to put down. He’ll be damned if he lets that happen again. "No, baby, if you don't like the outfit, then we won't get it."

"A-Are you sure?" Louis asks, peering up with a frightened expression. "You won't get m-mad if we don't get it?" 

"How many times do I have to tell you that being in a relationship is about equality? I'm not like him, Lou. If you don't like the outfit we can find something else," Harry explains, caressing Louis' cheek before kissing his forehead. "I don't want you to feel like you have to settle for anything, alright?"

"Okay," Louis whispers, smiling slightly. "We've got another month until he's born plus I'm sure the baby shower will cover everything we'll need in the first month."

Harry nods in agreement and kisses Louis once more, pouring all his love into the tender embrace. "Come on, I know you're hungry and you've been on your feet for quite awhile."

"I'm okay, Haz," Louis blushes. He loves how protective Harry's become in the last month, ever since they first made love. He made sure Louis didn't lift a finger whether it was cleaning up the flat or making supper. 

For one thing, it was a major change in Louis' lifestyle considering he was used to being the one that had to keep the flat clean and make sure food was on the table by the time Jayce came home. Louis' mind hadn't quite left his routine so when Harry left for work one morning and said he'd be back by supper time; it was Louis' automatic thinking that Harry expected dinner to be ready by the time he returned. Only, the baby had been up the night before tumbling around that Louis barely got any sleep. He figured he could take a short nap and wake up in time to prepare supper.

_"Louis?" Harry calls into the flat, hair matted to his face and cheeks pink from running up the stairs._

_He had been phoning the flat over a dozen times to check in on Louis and after the thirteenth ring with no response, he started to panic. His mind was racing, fearing that Jayce had found out where Harry lived and tried to harm Louis and their son._

_"Louis!" Harry yells louder this time, dropping all his contents on the counter before taking off down the hall._

_Louis jolts awake, blinking at the clock, eyes widening when he realizes he slept an hour later than he hoped. "Shit..."_

_"Louis," Harry sighs in relief when he rounds the corner and finds the pregnant lad sitting up in the bed, hair in disarray and brows upturned in apprehension._

_Louis starts to shake, eyes welling with tears as he scrambles out of the bed and drops to his knees, letting out sobs. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I-I took a nap because I was tired a-and I was gonna wake up in time to make you supper and I slept a little longer than expected! Pl-Please don't hurt me...it w-won't happen again, I swear!"_

_Harry's eyes widen as he watches his boyfriend fall into the submissive roll he's been playing for months. "Shit, Louis," he whispers. He rushes over to Louis and drops to his knees, pulling the pregnant man into his arms. He rocks back and forth, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. "Shh, love, I'm not mad. I was just worried about you. You hadn't answered and I thought something happened to you. There's no need for tears, Lou."_

_Louis hiccups as he wills himself to calm down, snuggling closer into Harry's hold. "I thought you were upset that I didn’t have a meal ready. I-It won't happen again, Haz, I promise."_

_"I'm not Jayce, Louis," Harry declares, peppering kisses against his temple. "You're not obligated to do anything for me. If you're tired then you nap and if you sleep past supper, then that's quite alright. I’m not incompetent. I can whip up something if I’m hungry. You’re my boyfriend, not my slave. In fact, after today, you're not to lift a finger, okay? Let someone wait on your for a change."/_

"You say you're okay, but I can see the pain in your face. I know it's your back and feet," Harry chuckles. "Come on, let's get some food and then head home yeah? How about a strawberry crepe?"

Louis' mouth salivates at the mention of food and smiles widely. "That sounds perfect..."

Harry laughs and pecks his lips before taking his hand and leaving the infant store. As the two walk hand in hand in the mall toward the food court, Louis can't help but blush at all the smiles he gets from bystanders. Jayce never took him out unless it was to the market and even then he was instructed to walk behind him and keep his eyes glued to the floor. He felt more like a slave than anything. 

"You're blushing," Harry notices when he glances down at his boyfriend. "If it's about your waddling then don't feel embarrassed, I think it's cute."

"S'not that." Louis didn't even know he was waddling and now that his boyfriend mentioned it he suddenly feels self conscious. "People keep staring at us."

"Negatively?"

"Not necessarily, more so adoringly, really," Louis explains. "Makes me feel... I don't know, like they can see how in love we are—like we’re a true couple?"

“We _are_ a true couple.” Harry smiles so wide his dimple is visible and Louis just wants to kiss him senseless. He'll blame his hormones later but he wants nothing more than to pull Harry to the nearest bathroom and beg him to fuck Louis senseless. His boyfriend catches the lustful gleam in the pregnant man's eyes and giggles, bringing their interlaced hands up to his mouth and kissing Louis' knuckles. “I’ll take care of you when we get home, baby, I promise.”

“Whatever I want?”

“Whatever you want,” Harry winks. "Tonight will be all about you." Louis shivers as his imagination runs wild. They’ve only had sex a handful of times but each moment felt better than the last. Every time they have sex, Harry makes it all about Louis. It was as if Harry was trying to make up for what Louis had missed in the seven months he spent living like a caged animal. 

Each time the two were intimate, Harry _always_ focused on Louis' pleasure whether it was a simple blow job or eating him out. Louis felt terrible the first few times that Harry strictly got him off because he'd hold Louis afterward and when he thought Louis was fast asleep he'd sneak away to the bathroom and have a proper wank. 

It wasn't until their fifth time making love, that Louis finally confronted Harry on why he wouldn't let him get his boyfriend off. At first Louis thought Harry found him disgusting with all the weight he's gained with the pregnancy that he couldn't get hard. But Harry was quick to assure Louis that that wasn't the case. He simply wanted Louis to enjoy the pleasure without feeling like he _had_ to return the favor. Their intimate life has improved to say the least and Louis' found the confidence to voice his opinions in the bedroom. 

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” Louis giggles, finding an empty hallway and pulling Harry into it. Before Harry has a chance to question Louis' sudden stop, he's pushed up against the wall and a pair of lips are on his.

Harry melts into the kiss, curling his arms around Louis' waist, hands inching their way toward his arse. He pulls away before the semi he's sporting in his skinnies becomes any larger. "Lou?"

"Sorry," Louis murmurs, wiping the saliva from his lips with a sheepish grin. "Couldn't help myself, bloody hormones."

Harry chuckles and pecks Louis' lips, one hand stroking his cheek. "Our son is kicking."

"He knows when his daddy's around," Louis laughs, rubbing his belly. He lets out a deep sigh and rests his head against Harry's chest.

The curly brunette rubs his back and peppers kisses against his temple. "You okay, love?"

"M'fine," Louis replies, inhaling Harry's scent. "Sometimes I just need moments like this; need to know that this is real—that you love me and that were raising this baby together. A small part of me believes this is all a dream. I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up back in his apartment waiting for the next beating."

"I _do_ love you and we _are_ having a baby and it's not a dream, Lou," Harry assures. "Now why don't we head home and I'll make you your favorite meal and make love to you all night?"

Louis shutters at the thoughts and nods frantically. “I just have to use the bathroom real quick."

“I'll come with you.”

Harry makes a move to follow Louis but the pregnant lad puts a hand to his chest, stopping the younger male from going any further. "It's just the bathroom, Haz, I'm not gonna fall in," Louis laughs.

"Alright, I'll be waiting by the vending machines when you get out."

"Kay," Louis smiles and pecks Harry's lips. "Love you," he says as an afterthought before waddling down the hall and into the bathroom. 

It takes Louis' a little more time than usual to use the toilet considering his belly sits so lowly in his lap and he can't even see his own dick anymore. He rubs his belly and smiles when he gets a kick in response. "I love you, too, little one."

Louis' blood runs cold with that familiar feeling of terror when he suddenly feels an arm being wrapped around his neck and the barrel of a gun pressed to the side of his belly.

He can't see the culprit but he's scared shitless and he tries his best not show fear. "What do you want? I d-don't have much but please don't hurt my baby."

"Looks like pretty boy isn't here to save you this time," the voice snarls before Louis' shoved forward so abruptly, he only has a split second to out stretch his hands and stop his belly from colliding into the wall. 

Louis gasps and turns around quickly, gasping when he sees Jayce standing in front of him, gun cocked to the side and pointing directly at his stomach. "J-Jayce! Wh-What are you doing here!?"

"You don't get to ask questions, whore," Jayce snarls, stepping closer, the barrel of the gun pressing against his belly enough to leave an imprint. Jayce leans forward, his mouth inches away from Louis' ear. "I swore the next time I saw you I'd kill you and your fucking abomination."

Louis' trembling as he keeps his eyes downcast. He's praying to whatever deity is up there for someone to come in; _anyone_ to witness what's happening and try to stop this lunatic from harming Louis and his baby. "Pl-Please, Jayce... just lemme go. I've done nothing to you."

"Shut up!" Louis' attacker hisses. "You cost me Connor."

Louis' eyes widen slightly and his voice gets caught in his throat. Connor left Jayce? Was it because Louis visited his old flat and the twink pieced everything together? "Jayce, I...I'm sorry...I didn't think he'd leave you I just needed to know...know why you replaced me."

"Doesn't fucking matter now, Louis. You're gonna know what it's like to lose someone," Jayce snaps, cocking the gun back and putting his finger over the trigger. "Looks like your abomination isn't gonna see the light of day."

Louis' sobbing, pleading with every fiber of his being for Jayce not to kill his baby. Why does this man continue to ruin his life? He can't go anywhere in public without his nightmare following him around. Louis' a sobbing mess and so distraught that he doesn't hear the door open. It happens so quickly that Louis doesn't have time to process everything. Harry's got an arm around Jayce's neck in a chokehold, yanking him away from Louis as the man in question struggles to breathe, the gun slipping from his hand and sliding across the tiled floor. 

Harry continues to tighten his hold until Jayce's struggling becomes futile and his body goes limp in Harry's arms. The younger male lets Louis' attacker drop to the floor and rushes over to his boyfriend, cupping his face and checking over his body.

"Shit, Louis, you okay?" Harry rushes out, stroking his face and peppering it with kisses. He's a bit concerned that Louis hasn't said anything. His expression is stoic, as if he's in another world. "Come on, baby, say something, please!"

Louis tunes in enough to stare at his boyfriend, breathing labored and eyes wide. "My water just broke."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The numbers blare 2:46 am in neon red the next time Louis wakes up. He's the little spoon in Harry's hold but something's off. His stomach tenses painfully that he lets out a little whimper and fists his hands in sheets until the pain wears off. Shit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as promised, chapter 8 with the birth! :)
> 
> Originally the baby was supposed to be born in water but then I sort of just ran with the chapter and he ends up born naturally! :) Thank you all for who voted! 
> 
> There'll be a picture of the baby and his nursery at the end of the notes! :D

The pain in his belly returns tenfold, jarring Louis out of his sleep. The machines monitoring his contractions are loud and annoying but Louis' gotten used to them considering he's been in the hospital for two days now. He slams his hand on the call button, not letting up until Harry rushes into the room.

"I'm here, baby, I'm here," the curly brunette murmurs, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling Louis into his arms. "Another contraction?"

"Y-Yes," Louis gasps out, clutching Harry's scrubs in his fists as the pain courses through his body. He feels like a thousand knives are stabbing relentlessly into his sides and back. "F-fuck, Haz, this hurts..."

"I know, love, I know," Harry coos, rocking Louis gently, kneading the tense muscles in his back as Louis whimpers. “Doc says they’re only Braxton Hicks, though.”

“Fuck, Braxton Hicks!” He cries into his shoulder.

When Louis' water broke at the mall, he was a complete mess. Harry had to talk Louis through a panic attack, the poor lad blubbering about the baby being too early to be born; that _of course_ Jayce would cause some type of scene to make the last of his month of his pregnancy complicated. 

Harry had enough of the fucker's constant input in Louis' life that he called 999 and had Jayce arrested. He'd be going away for attempted murder so his time in jail could give Louis enough time to start a new life without the nightmares the bastard has caused. 

Because Louis' water broke, the doctor felt it was necessary to admit him until the baby was born. Louis was more than happy to oblige whether the baby showed up later that week or in four. He just wanted to make sure his son was born healthy without complications.

Louis breathes through his nose when the contraction subsides. He relaxes against his boyfriend's arms and starts to cry. "Why are you with me, Harry? I d-don't deserve you."

Harry purses his lips and holds Louis tighter, placing a kiss against his temple. Louis' been this way since he was admitted. When Louis experienced his first contraction, Harry wasn't around. He was working his shift in the emergency wing unaware that Louis had been crying him. He felt so horrible that his boyfriend was alone that he made sure he was the attending nurse's aide so he could be at Louis' every beck and call. 

"Baby, this is your first baby," Harry murmurs. He maneuvers himself so he's lying in the bed with Louis, back to chest as his hands roam over Louis' bump. "My boss knows you're admitted and there are plenty of other aides that can cover me whenever you call."

Louis sniffles and nods. He grabs Harry's hands and interlaces them together over his belly. "I'm just scared, Harry. I'm so scared that you won't be here when it's time. I don't think I could deliver our son by myself."

"You won't be, baby, I promise," Harry assures, peppering kisses along the side of his face. "The nurse’s station knows that you're my boyfriend and they know my schedule so if anything changes with the baby, I'll be contacted immediately, okay?"

Louis smiles to himself and nods. His boyfriend’s sentiments are enough to soothe him. It takes careful coordination but he turns in Harry's arms and curls his arms around Harry’s torso, snuggling into his body. "That makes me feel better."

"Yeah?" Harry smiles, one hand coming up to card his fingers through his boyfriend's fringe. 

"Mhm. I feel safer when you're with me, Hazza."

"I'll always protect you and my son, Lou." Louis smiles contently and yawns. He hasn't gotten a proper sleep since he was admitted, the contractions coming at random at all hours of the day. "Go to sleep, love, I know you're tired."

"Kay..." Louis mumbles, burying his face in Harry's chest, his heartbeat lulling him to sleep. "Haz?" Louis asks as a thought comes to him. 

"Yes, love, I'm here," Harry whispered. 

"When it's time, I want you to deliver our baby," the pregnant mumbles, fighting to keep his eyes open. 

Harry's ministrations stop and he peers down at Louis. He may be a nurse's aide and he's got a couple years before he can officially become a nurse but he doesn't know if he's skilled enough to deliver a baby. "Wh-what? You want me to deliver him?"

"Y-Yes," Louis nods, more alert when he senses the hesitance in his boyfriend's voice. "I want you to deliver him, Haz. I trust _you_. I _need_ you to do this, Harry Please!" Louis' getting worked up and the monitors are going haywire. 

"Okay, Louis, okay, shh just relax," Harry whispered. "I'll deliver him, I promise."

Harry knows Louis' asking this of him because he's the only one that Louis trusts; the only one that he trusts who he's been intimate with. Louis' aware that a doctor and nurses will have to be present when he gives birth, but he'll feel more comfortable if he feels Harry's hands down there and not some stranger’s.

"I only trust you," Louis voices his true reasoning. "You know my body better than I do."

"I'll speak with Dr. Kratz and let her know what you want to do, love."

"Thank you," Louis whispers, finally content to fall asleep. 

*** 

"Well, Louis, it's been a week and still no baby, huh?" Dr. Kratz laughs slipping on a pair of gloves.

"Nope," he sighs, staring up at Harry who smiles in return. Louis grateful that his baby hadn't come yet but at the same time he's a little peeved because he just wants to meet his son. 

"For the most part, the real contractions are pretty far apart and we've given you some medication to slow them down," Louis' obstetrician explains. "I'm going to check your dilation and if were under five then I'm gonna send you home, alright?"

Louis eyes widen and he shakes his head. “Wh-What? No! You told me I’m gonna stay here until he’s born!” Louis panics, reaching for Harry's hand. Harry pulls Louis into his side and rubs the top of his hand, trying his best to calm him down.

“I did say that, Louis, but your son is nowhere near where we want him to be in order to deliver. I think you’ll be more comfortable if you wait at home until it’s time.”

Louis sighs and glances up at the curly brunette who agrees with Dr. Kratz. “Alright.” Louis’ obstetrician nods and gently spreads Louis’ legs. “W-Wait. Can Harry check me?”

Harry's face drops and he stares at Louis with wide eyes. "You want _me_ to?"

"Please?" Louis whispers, face going pink. Louis’ making a fuss about all this and he knows Harry doesn't have to do any of this for Louis. "I mean you don't h-have to, Harry, but you're gonna deliver him a-and I trust you and—

Harry silences Louis' babbling by pressing their lips together, cupping his face and deepening the kiss. "I'll do whatever you want, baby."

"Thank you..." Louis smiles, eyes brimming with tears. "I feel like an idiot."

"Don't feel that way, Louis, both of us understand. It's your first baby and everything is nerve wrecking," Dr. Kratz giggles. "Most first time mums and dads have the same worries, so you're not alone."

Louis nods and watches as Dr. Kratz instructs Harry to grab a pair of gloves. Harry settles himself between his boyfriend’s legs and listens to Dr. Kratz as she explains to him what needs to be done. Louis relaxes as he feels Harry’s fingers enter him and feel for his cervix. “I think he’s around five still. The baby’s pretty far up there.”

“I estimate five, then,” Dr. Kratz agrees, peeling the gloves from her hands and tossing them in the bin. “Okay, Louis, you’re gonna sign a couple of papers and then you’ll be out of here within the hour.”

***

"Why don't you just tell me you're sick of me and throw me out!?" Louis roars as he angrily waddles into the bathroom where Harry's talking a shower.

The curly brunette is perplexed at his boyfriend's sudden rush of hormones. He understands that Louis is a bit on edge considering he's made it to 39 weeks and their son hasn't moved an inch. The poor lad has tried _everything_ to initiate labor; fucking at least three times a day, eating the spiciest food, and even went as far as trying out pregnant yoga to see if that didn't help matters. By the time the end of the week came there was still no baby and Louis’ just about had it.

Harry turns off the water and steps out of the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. "Baby, what's this all about?" 

Louis' hormones are raging and he's certain that Harry can't handle his frantic mood swings any longer so why not spare them both the trouble and just kick him out?

"My stomach's so large I can't even see my feet anymore a-and he's keeping me up at night and we still don't have a name for him, Harry! My baby's going to be born without a bloody name! What kind of parents are we!?"

Louis has officially snapped. His eyes are red and puffy from what looks like hours of crying and his body is trembling from his outburst. Harry sighs and approaches Louis, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and holding him close. 

"Sweetheart, you need to take a deep breath alright?" Harry murmurs, rubbing his back in soothing circles. Louis hiccups as he sniffles, the fresh scent of strawberry body wash mixed with a something distinctly Harry calms him down. "I'm a wreck, Haz. I don't even know why you're still with me."

"Oh, Louis, no. You're frustrated and irritable. It's common with expectant mums. Our baby just wants to stay in a little longer, that's all."

"He's been messing with us since my water broke," he croaks out a laugh. "And here I thought that day would be the day."

"Nope, he's being stubborn like his mummy," Harry laughs, peppering a kiss against his temple. "C'mere, I wanna show you something." Louis furrows his brows but pulls away from Harry and allows him to lead him to the spare bedroom that they converted into a nursery. "I've spent a lot a time on the design and my buddy Zayn helped me of course."

"Haz, I've already seen the nursery," Louis laughs, resting his hands on his large swell. "We've still got to set up the changing table and crib plus the walls need to be painted, remember?"

Harry smirks at Louis' words and opens the door, letting his boyfriend ogle at the new room. "So you think..." Harry laughs as he steps aside. 

Louis' speechless when he sees the additions to the nursery the two had been working on for a couple of months. "Oh my god, Haz... D-did you paint the polka dots?"

"Zayn did. The days that you were in the hospital, he finished it up. Now all we gotta do is choose a name so he can add the finishing touches."

Louis' eyes prickle with tears and he turns around so fast Harry braces himself to catch Louis if he falls. The pregnant lad curls his arms around Harry's neck, standing on his tip toes to kiss him deeply. "It's beautiful, Harry, thank you."

"Zayn and I were so afraid you wouldn't like the color scheme or the polka dots..."

Louis shakes his head as the tears roll down his cheeks. "I love it," he croaks. "I love you. So, _so_ much, Hazza."

"I love you, too, baby, and our little one," Harry replies, rubbing Louis' swell.

"I get all warm inside when you call him ours," Louis admits. "When I first found out I was pregnant, I didn't know what I was going to do. I wanted to get an abortion but then I’d feel horrible if I did that. But then I went back to Jayce’s house and he put me in the hospital again and I knew I couldn't raise my son in an environment like that. A-And then you came along and literally picked me off my feet and showed me what's it like to actually be loved and cherished and I knew..." He drifts off. His face is wet now, eyes puffy from the tears. But he smiles through it all as he stares at his savior. "I knew with you I could start a new life—a new life with my baby because he'd be loved irrevocably by me and his papa."

Harry's eyes are brimming with tears by the end of Louis' affirmation. He quickly thumbs them away before grabbing Louis' chin and pulling him into a tender kiss. He loves the way the pregnant lad surrenders every time Harry kisses him because he knows he's the only that can make Louis feel that way—knows that Harry's the only one for him. "I never thought I'd find my other half so early in life, Louis, and now you've blessed me with this amazing gift of fatherhood. You're so amazing Louis. You're so strong for what you've gone through. You didn't let him break you no matter how many scars and broken have bones prove otherwise. You kept powering on until someone could pick up the pieces."

"None of this could have been possible without you, Haz," the pregnant man whispers, hands dropping from Harry's neck to around his waist and holding him close. "Thank you for saving me."

*** 

"Hey, Haz?" Louis calls from the hallway as he waddles into the kitchen, hand on his large belly. 

He's made it to full term, a couple weeks into his tenth month much to Louis' dismay. Not that Louis' would be upset if Harlan decided to stay another week but his belly hangs so low on his waist, walking has become an extraneous chore. Most of the time Harry forces Louis off his feet, rather attend to his every beck and call instead of having his overly pregnant boyfriend struggle to get up and handle his needs himself. Now it's up to baby Harlan Ezekiel Styles when he wants to make his first appearance. 

"You're omelet is almost ready, love, go back to bed," Harry scolds playfully, flipping the delicious concoction before turning his attention to his lover. 

Louis blushes and shakes his head. "My back was beginning to hurt. I just wanted to stretch my legs."

Harry smiles Louis' favorite grin and curls his long arms around as much of his boyfriend's waist as he can. "How about a back massage after breakfast, maybe even more if you're good?"

Louis purses his lips in that innocent manner that makes Harry weak in the knees. "That sounds amazing."

The food pops in the skillet and Harry drops his arms in favor of flipping the omelet again before sliding it on Louis' plate. "Does Harlan want apple or orange juice today?"

"Hmm, I think he's feeling apple."

"Apple it is," Harry exclaims, leaning forward to peck Louis' nose before waltzing to the fridge and pulling out the half empty bottle. 

"So, I think I want Harlan born in water," Louis blurts out as he grabs the plate handed to him and waddles to the coffee table.

Harry takes a moment to process his boyfriend's statement as he follows after Louis with his glass of juice. "Like a water birth?"

"Yeah," Louis nods, cutting a piece of his omelet and stuffing it in his mouth. It's so mouthwatering that he finds himself moaning at the taste. "I've been reading about it and Casey from Lamaze class said she did a water birth with her first child and swears by it."

"Did Casey also tell you that you're not allowed an epidural?" Harry asks with a quirked brow.

Louis' face drops at that bit of information. "What? You mean I’d have to deliver Harlan naturally?"

Harry nods. "Dr. Kratz could prescribe you pethidine or diamorphine during labor to help ease the pain but that'll be it."

It only takes Louis a few moments to process it all before he's come to a decision. "I think I can do it. I want a water birth."

"You still want me to deliver him?"

"Yes!" Louis quickly says. That's one thing that won't change. He feels most comfortable around Harry and rather him deliver their son. "That'll never change."

"I was just making sure, babe," Harry murmurs, snuggling next to Louis before kissing his temple. "I'll let Dr. Kratz know."

"You hear that, Harlan? Mummy and daddy have everything planned out," Louis explains to his belly. "We wanna meet you so can come out now."

"Don't rush my son!" Harry faux-scolds. "Let him come when he wants."

"You're not the one who has to piss sitting down or can't see his feet anymore or has back problems or—

Harry shuts him by kissing him deeply, their teeth clashing in a desperate kiss. Louis squeaks in surprise, nearly dropping his breakfast as he feels Harry's tongue push past his lips. 

The curly brunette is quick to remove the plate from Louis' hands, setting it on the coffee table before pulling Louis into his lap and letting his boyfriend straddle his hips. "You're so beautiful."

Louis whimpers and shakes his head, opening his eyes. He startles at the lustful gaze Harry's pinning him with. It makes his cock stir in his trackies and he as has to force himself not to rut against his lover. He wants to be spread open on the bed and fucked into oblivion "Bedroom, Haz. Now."

Harry doesn't have to be told twice before he's grabbing Louis by the hips and whisking him down the hall.

***

The numbers blare 2:46 am in neon red the next time Louis wakes up. He's the little spoon in Harry's hold but something's off. His stomach tenses painfully that he lets out a little whimper and fists his hands in sheets until the pain wears off. Shit!

"Haz...Hazza, wake up," Louis whispers, patting Harry's arm. The curly brunette grumbles to himself and swats at the annoying tapping. Louis groans in aggravation and tries to sit up but his stomach is too large to really move. "Damnit, Harry, wake up!" Louis yells this time and shoves at Harry.

Harry startles awake this time and blinks the sleep out of his eyes. "Lou? What're you doing up? It's like three in the morning."

"Harlan's coming," Louis informs. "Take me the hospital."

"Jesus, already?"

"He's like two weeks overdue, Haz," Louis laughs.

Harry rolls his eyes and gets out of bed, tossing on a pair of briefs and skinnies before helping Louis into an oversized tee and a pair of trackies. "Were having a baby!" Harry squeals.

Louis smiles through pained features and nods grabbing his hands. "Were having a baby."

***

Louis' groaning as he rests on his hands and knees, rocking back and forth in the tub, anything to rid the pain. The contractions have been constant since he was admitted two hours ago. The diamorphine Dr. Kratz gave him is doing nothing to ease the tightening in his abdomen. "How much longer, Haz, I don't think I do this anymore," Louis sniffles, his arms wobbling from supporting his weight.

Harry removes his fingers and then tosses the gloves in the trash. He steps back into the tub and sits in front of Louis, letting the pregnant man lean against him. "7 centimeters, babe. 3 more and he'll be here." Louis sobs at that and collapses against Harry. The curly brunette supports all of Louis, kneading the tense muscles in his back. "You're doing so well, Lou, I'm so proud of you."

"This hurts so much, Haz, I don't think I can do this twice," Louis blubbers into his t-shirt clad chest. He feels like a failure. He desperately wants to give Harry a baby that's biologically his but he didn't think contractions would feel this bad—nothing compared to the Braxton Hicks when his water broke. "I'm s-so sorry, Harry. I w-want you to father your own ch-child but this is too m-much..."

"Shh, baby, it's okay," Harry coos, helping Louis into his lap so he's sitting astride Harry's legs. Louis immediately curls his arms around Harry's neck and buried his face in the crook of his shoulder. He cries out as another contraction wracks his body, teeth digging into Harry’s shoulder. "Harlan is enough for me. I can't imagine what you're going through. If you want him to be our only one I can live with that."

"Thank you for doing this with me. I’d be a wreck without you."

"I'm never gonna leave you, Lou," Harry reminds, pressing a tender kiss to Louis’ cheek. "You're mine forever."

***

Louis feels like he's in labor forever. The sun's coming through the curtains but he hasn't the slightest idea what time it is. At this point he doesn't give a bloody fuck. He just wants Harlan born already. Louis' only dilated a centimeter in the last few hours putting him at 8 and if he finds out he's only dilated only another, he may just flip shit. The water's gone cold and though Harry's offered to refill it with warm water, Louis' declined. He'll wait until Harlan’s ready before he'll get back in the tub. 

"Haz, just go home. I think it's gonna be awhile before Harlan comes and you look exhausted," Louis explains. They're walking through the hallway of the maternity ward, Harry's arm curled around Louis' waist for support, the two doing anything to help Louis’ labor progress. Louis believes Harlan’s stuck but Dr. Kratz assures Louis that his son is only taking his time. 

"I'm not leaving you, Louis," Harry states as if he's been offended. "Harlan could come at any moment and I'd feel terrible if I wasn't there."

"We've been at this since three this morning and you look exhausted and I don't even know what time it is!" Louis exclaims. 

"It's almost eleven in case you were curious and no one said childbirth was easy, babe."

Louis groans and punches the nearest wall. He's so done with labor. If every birth is going to be like this then Harlan's gonna be an only child. "Fuck childbirth."

Harry chuckles but immediately stops when Louis shoots him a glare. "C'mon, let's go back to the room and see if you can get a kip in."

Louis snorts at that. He doubts he'll get any sleep with the contractions. Harry pecks his lips and helps his irritable boyfriend back to his room and into the bed.

"Lay with me?" Louis murmurs, hand patting the empty space next to jim. 

"Course," Harry smiles, toeing off his tennies and slipping into the bed with Louis. He pulls him against his body and kneads Louis' belly, the pregnant lad sighing in relief. The tension is still there but it eases some with Harry's skilled touch.

" _Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me, but bare this in mind it was meant to be_ ,” Harry starts to sing. “ _And I'm joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks, and it all makes sense to me... I won't let these little things slip out of my mouth, but if I do, it's you. Oh it's you they add up to and I'm in love with you... and all your little things._ "

Louis gasps as he listens to Harry sing. His voice is so rugged and guttural but the lyrics are so beautiful he finds himself tearing up. He grabs Harry's hands and squeezes, glancing behind him to smile sheepishly at him. "That's so beautiful."

Harry has the decency to look embarrassed, cheeks flushing pink as he litters Louis’ neck with kisses. "I've been writing it for awhile."

"It's amazing."

"You're amazing."

Louis giggles softly and finds himself nodding off as Harry continues his verse. Before he realizes it, he's asleep, hands interlaced with Harry's and mind fluttering with the thoughts of a bright future.

***

Louis startles awake from another contraction only this one drags out and is harsher than the previous ones. He feels Harlan drop lower and his eyes go wide. Harry's snoring lightly behind Louis and he hates to wake him but he thinks this could be it.

"Harry! Harry, wake up, he's coming!" Louis panics, slapping at Harry's thigh.

Harry blinks awake, sensing the distress in his boyfriend's voice. "Lou?"

"He's coming, Haz, I can feel him!"

Harry nearly falls out of the bed as he scrambles for the call button, holding his hand so the buzzing won't let up. "Alright, Louis, deep breaths," Harry says as he grabs a pair of gloves from the box and peels Louis’ gown back, eyes widening at the fleshy mound forcing its way out of Louis. "Oh he's right here, baby."

"H-Haz, I need to push..." Louis cries, pushing himself up on the bed and letting his legs drop open.

Dr. Kratz and a couple nurses come rushing in, the petite woman in the white lab coat smiling at Louis' progress. "Okay, Harry, just like we've discussed."

Harry nods and helps Louis' legs into the stirrups before grabbing the stool and placing himself between his boyfriend's legs. "Okay, Lou, big push for me yeah?"

Louis nods and squeezes the bars in a white-knuckled grip as he bores down, his chin against his belly and pushes for all he's worth. The pain escalates into a sharp burn and he cries out when he feels Harlan's head stretch him past his limits.

A couple nurses prop a couple pillows behind Louis and help him lean forward. "That's it, Louis, you're doing well."

"His head's almost out, Lou, keep pushing!" Harry exclaims, bright smile on his face as he pushes against Louis' entrance. 

Louis' screaming the more Harlan moves, his legs trembling from exhaustion. "Fuck! Come on Harlan, get out!"

Harry chuckles to himself before letting out a surprised gasp when the head comes out in a rush of fluids. Dr. Kratz hands Harry the suction bulb and the curly brunette is quick to clear his son's airways. "You're doing so well, Louis. Just the shoulders now and I can pull him free."

Tears stream down Louis' cheeks as he pushes harder, face red in concentration as he bores down harder, voice hoarse the more he yells. This is so fucking painful, nothing compared to what the men and women at Lamaze had told him birth would be like. They failed to mention that a baby shoulder’s could be so broad. He yelps when one of Harlan’s shoulders slips free. "AHH!"

Harry carefully pulls Harlan free when Louis pushes out the second shoulder, their son coming out in a rush of blood. The bloody baby wiggles helplessly as Harry clears out his lungs a second time before the infant starts to wail. "He's here, Louis," Harry laughs in astonishment as he sets the baby on Louis' chest.

The older male starts to cry the moment Harlan is placed on his chest, hands immediately coming up to hold him. "Hi, baby boy. You’re so beautiful," he croaks. One of the nurses puts a blanket over the wailing newborn, the little one's eye squeezed shut at the harsh light in this new world.

Louis presses a kiss to his forehead not caring that he's stained his lips with blood and placenta. Harlan is so perfect with Louis' features. He looks nothing like Jayce and he's a bit relieved at that. "Shh, darling, mummy’s here. Mummy's got you."

The placenta slips out easily unnoticed, Louis too wrapped up with the squirming baby on his chest. He roots around Louis' chest trying to seek out comfort. One of the nurses is peels Louis' gown down and guides the baby to his mummy's nipple. Harlan latches on immediately, his cries simmering to whimpers as he suckles.

"My perfect Harlan," Louis sniffles using his free hand to wipe his face clean. "My perfect baby boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Baby Harlan, 7 lbs 8 oz 21 in](http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/4953516-3x2-940x627.jpg)
> 
>  
> 
> Harlan's [Nursery](http://rilane.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Modern-Baby-Boy-Nursery.jpg)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Go to sleep, love, I know you're exhausted,” Harry murmurs to Louis, rocking Harlan to sleep as he watches his boyfriend fight to keep his eyes open.
> 
> Louis worries his bottom lip as he stares at the baby being rocked to sleep. "But what if Harlan gets hungry?" Louis asks, eyes never leaving the newborn. He already knows he's going to be a huge wreck when they bring Harlan home. Louis' certain he's going to lose sleep assuring himself that his baby boy is properly cared for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of An Unordinary Circumstance :): but no worries, I've got an epilogue in progress with a bit of smut and a birth scene to make up for it!! ;)
> 
> I'm sorry I didn't get this up earlier! I was swamped with homework this weekend, nearly bending over backwards trying to get 15+ assignments finished by today! :D But since I had a break between classes today, I thought I'd edit and post! :)

"Louis, he's beautiful, m'so proud of you," Harry murmurs, his large hand caressing Harlan's little cheek. The baby blinks up at him with Louis' eyes albeit still new. Harry smiles in return and holds Harlan’s tiny hand. “I see you, too, little one.”

Louis gives a watery smile and brings his son up to his lips to kiss him softly. "And to think I wanted to give him up. He's so perfect."

Harry caresses Louis' cheek before he pecks his lips. "You don't have to think like that anymore."

Louis nods and then yawns, the twelve hour labor having exhausted him. Harry chuckles and carefully takes the baby from Louis, holding the infant tight in his arms. Harlan snuggles against Harry's chest, recognizing his daddy’s scent. His tiny fingers clutch at his papa’s shirt as he yawns silently.

"Go to sleep, love, I know you're exhausted,” Harry murmurs to Louis, rocking Harlan to sleep as he watches his boyfriend fight to keep his eyes open.

Louis worries his bottom lip as he stares at the baby being rocked to sleep. "But what if Harlan gets hungry?" Louis asks, eyes never leaving the newborn. He already knows he's going to be a huge wreck when they bring Harlan home. Louis' certain he's going to lose sleep assuring himself that his baby boy is properly cared for.

"He's only an hour old, love. Birth is tiring on a baby as well," Harry tries to explain but the look his boyfriend is giving him already tells Harry that Louis won’t be easily convinced. "If he starts to cry, I'll wake you okay?" Harry appeases.

"Kay," Louis murmurs with a small smile, eyes drooping. "Love you, Haz."

Harry returns the sentiment punctuating it with a kiss to Louis' temple before he sets Harlan in his cot. He's on shift in an hour and he's asked his supervisor if the majority of his time can be spent on the maternity floor just in case Louis or his son needed him.

***

The moon has replaced the sun by the time Louis wakes. The only source of light is the dim one in the hallway. Louis blinks a few times letting his eyes adjust to the darkness before scans the room. There's a shadowed figuring sitting in the chair pushed against the wall holding a small bundle. Louis’ eyes flash to the cot finding it empty before his eyes flicker back to the figure’s. The figure rocks the bundle, murmuring words Louis can’t comprehend. 

"Haz?"

"You're boy toy isn't here," the figure says in a smooth voice. The baby starts to fuss but the mysterious person coos at the newborn until the baby is silent.

The new mum narrows his eyes in focus. Louis feels his heart drop when his vision clears and he sees the man holding Harlan. "J-Jayce."

“Hello, Louis,” Jayce answers, his voice sounding almost relaxed. Jayce’s tone makes Louis shudder. He knows what this man is capable of and now he’s holding his son, an innocent thing that can’t fend for himself.

“Wh-What are you doing here?” Louis asks, swallowing dryly as he eyes his attacker’s every movement. He’ll die before he lets Jayce lay a hand on his new baby.

“Heard you birthed the little shit and wanted to come personally congratulate you.” Louis’ fingers inch their way toward the call button. He'd know Harry would come running. Jayce catches Louis’ movements and wiggles a finger at him with a maniacal smirk. "I wouldn’t call for help, Louis. Poor little…Harlan would pay the price for that."

Louis immediately lets go of the button, wringing his fingers together. "Please, Jayce just put him back. If you want to hurt someone, hurt me. He’s just a little baby. He’s the innocent in all this,” Louis begs, eyes welling with tears. “Please…”

"What kind of person do you see me as, Louis?" Jayce snaps. He has the nerve to look offended. 

Louis stares at the culprit as if he’s grown two heads. Does Jayce not realize the shit he’s put Louis through? The broken bones, the manipulation, the ultimate fear the brunette has to live with? Louis' had enough of Jayce having possessing thus power over him. He will not continue to live life constantly looking over his shoulder and cowering in fear. 

“You’ve stolen a year of my life, Jayce. You’ve controlled me beyond comprehension. Who gave you the right to make me submit to you? I was fucking stupid to even succumb to your desires. So why the _fuck_ are you still around? I finally find someone who _loves_ me and I can’t even do that because I’m afraid he’ll turn around and be like _you!_ So fuck, you, Jayce! Fuck you for ruining my life.”

The raven-haired man quirks a brow more so in astonishment. This is the first time Louis' plucked up the courage to speak to him anyway out of submission. "I'd be careful what you say to me, Louis," Jayce warns, lifting Harlan in warning. 

"You do so much as harm one hair on my son’s head and it'll be the last thing you do," Louis snips, eyes narrowed. In the midst of his rant Louis lays his thumb over the call button, hoping Harry's the one to rush in. He wants this fucker out of his sight and out of his life. Louis’ so overwhelmed with anger and the newfound protection for his son that if he sees this man again, he may be charged with murder in the first degree. 

"Put him back in his cot, Jayce and get the hell out of my room!" He hisses.

Jayce blanches at Louis, his eyes narrowing with malice. "Listen here, you little shit—

"Put the child back in his cot and back away slowly," a rugged voice instructs. Two men in uniform have their guns drawn at the back of Jayce's head and Louis fears for his son. He's terrified Jayce will make a fatal mistake and Harlan will pay for it.

"Put him back, Jayce,” Louis states, eyeing the man’s every move.

Jayce glances over his shoulder and finds himself cornered by the two men with their guns drawn Harry standing guard by the door in case he prepared to make a run for it."

"Give the baby back to Louis," Harry says sternly, eyes fixated with a cold stare.

"Please, Jayce, don't make this harder than it has to be," Louis says.

Jayce sighs realizing there's no way out and hands the baby back to Louis who cradles his son close, eyes welling with tears as he checks him over. He peppers the infant with kisses, whispering a million ‘I love you’s’ as he sniffles.

The two men immediately tackle Jayce to the floor, one man pressing his knee into the culprit's back while the other cuffs him. "Jayce Cameron, you're under arrest for violation your restraining order and attempted kidnap..."

Louis drowns out all the police jargon as Harry rushes up to him, cupping Louis' face and checking him over before kissing him senseless when he was satisfied Louis wasn’t harmed. "Jesus, Lou, I nearly had a bloody heart attack when I saw him holding our son."

"He wasn't gonna do anything," Louis whispers, stroking Harlan's cheek. Harlan sleeps soundly in his daddy's arms and Louis' quite surprised that he slept through all of the chaos. "I can’t keep living my life in fear, not while Harlan’s alive. I’ll run myself ragged if I do. I finally gave him a piece of my mind.”

Harry smiles softly and placed his hand over Louis' admiring their son together. "I don't think he'll be getting out any time soon now. Kidnapping is an A-1 felony."

"Well good riddance," Louis mutters, cooing at Harlan when the baby starts to fuss. He peels his gown down and brings their son to his chest, Harlan latching on quickly. Louis winces from the tenderness in his chest but holds Harlan tighter regardless. 

"You're a natural, Lou," Harry murmurs, pecking his temple. "You were born to be a mum."

"Yeah?" Louis giggles and watches his son eat, his pale blue eyes staring up at his parents. "Hi, baby boy. You don't know how beautiful you are." Harlan gives Louis a blank stare which only makes Harry laugh. 

"You think you could do this again?" 

Louis peels his eyes away from his baby to peer up at Harry. "Have another baby?"

Harry nods and Louis’ heart swells at how anxious his lover is. They've discussed having a child of their own during one of their sex-induced hazes and Louis was totally on board with the idea when Harry brought the matter up again during dinner one night. Only when Louis' water broke unexpectedly at the mall and he experienced Braxton Hicks, the idea was shot to hell. There was no bloody way Louis could go through childbirth again—not with all the anxiety and pain childbirth had to offer.

Poor Louis was eating himself alive with apologies to Harry when he told him Harlan would be their only child. He remembers the night he told Harry. He remembers the way the his boyfriend’s face fell at the news—how he avoided him for the rest of the night and slept in the living room the following day. Louis felt like shit and after Harry spent months reassuring Louis that their relationship was about equality and devotion, who was Louis to alter their forever by denying Haz what he truly wanted? 

But now, lying in the hospital bed with his lover on his side as they cradle their son in protective arms, Louis would be a complete fool not to experience this again. Of course, the second time around will be different. The anxiety and fear that accompanied this pregnancy will be appear nonexistent. Surely, Louis could give it another chance.

Louis smiles softly as his son starts to nod off. He carefully pulls Harlan off his chest and sets him on his shoulder, patting his back and listening for a small burp. "Of course I could do this again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the brevity of this chapter. It was more of a filler and I couldn't really figure out how to end it.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I pomise," Harlan nods, opening his tiny hand for the ring. Harry places the ring into his son's hand and watches the three year old hold it tightly in his grasp as he watches Harlan take off for Louis. "Daddy! Daddy!"
> 
> Louis drops the documents immediately, heart racing at the thought that something's happened to his son. He struggles to sit up, his large belly preventing him from doing anything graceful lately. He signs in relief when his son appears in his line of vision, hands coming up to check over his baby boy. "What's wrong, sweetie? Are you hurt?"
> 
> "Noooo," Harlan grumbles, having enough of his daddy twisting and turning him. "Look what I found!" Harlan shoves his tiny hand in Louis' face revealing the platinum band.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to give a major thanks to all of you who have read and shared my story! :) I never thought it'd have this much of a turn out! :D

"No, papa, you'we doing it wong!" Harlan shrieks as he shoves Harry away from his sand castle and shows his papa how to properly make one.

Harry just laughs and sits in the sand with his legs crossed while he watches the three year-old grab the colored buckets and add to their sand castle. "What was I doing wrong, buddy?"

"Too much watoh," Harlan grumbles as he pulls the bucket off the molded form. "Dats betoh!"

"Why don't you finish the castle while I go check on daddy, kay, bud?"

"Otay, papa," Harlan beams, his grin rivaling Louis'.

Harry plants a kiss on the top of his son's head before he ambles up the beach where Louis is resting in a lawn chair, umbrella shielding his skin from the sun as he goes through one of the articles he was assigned to edit. 

"Hey, sweetheart," Harry greets, plopping down in the chair next to Louis' and pecking his lips. 

"Hey, love, weren't you building a sand castle with Harlan?" 

"I was but he shoved me away because I wasn't building it right," Harry laughs.

Louis giggles and glances at his toddler in his race car swim pants filling buckets with sand. "Does that surprise you?"

"Not really," Harry chuckles. He reaches over into the ice chest and pulls out a bottle of water, handing it to his boyfriend. "Here, baby, you need stay hydrated."

Louis reluctantly takes the bottle and takes a sip of it. "Sort of hard to stay hydrated when I have to piss every ten minutes."

Harry grins and rubs at Louis' large swell. "How _is_ my daughter?"

"She's dancing," the older male murmurs, placing his hand over Harry's. "She's always dancing."

"That's because Rhian knows when her daddy's talking to her."

Louis rolls eyes and shoves at Harry playfully. "Don't go making her choose favorites before she's born!"

"If she's choosing favorites, Harlan's already won. He's claimed her already, remember?" 

Louis nods. The first time he and Harry told Harlan he was going to be a big brother, he didn't quite understand. It wasn't until one of his friend's mum brought his baby brother in for show and tell that everything clicked. Harlan had ran all the way into the house that day and straight into Louis, rambling a mile a minute about the new baby, claiming that it was _his_ baby. Louis and Harry were so relieved that their son was more than happy to share their love. Louis was worrying himself sick with the articles informing him of the horror stories with neglect to their first child. He swore he’d never neglect his Harlan. He was his first baby after all.

It was nerve wrecking to say the least when Louis returned home one day with positive pregnancy results. It wasn't that the two hadn't been planning for another baby, they just hadn’t expected that Harlan would turn out to be as clingy as he was. Everywhere the couple went, Harlan _had_ to be connected to them somehow whether it be in one of their arms or holding their hands. Date nights were always cut short because Harlan would cry incessantly until Louis and Harry walked through the door again. Date nights slowly decreased from twice a week to once every two months.

Poor Louis had a mental breakdown the first year, claiming he was horrible parent for leaving his son with a sitter twice a week and then sending him to daycare for the other three. It took a call from Harry's mum as well as his own with reassurance before Louis had come to the realization that parents need time to themselves away from their children without feeling guilty.

Two years down the road and Louis is a little more at ease with parenting. Harlan's more than thrilled about his new sister and his temper tantrums have seized now that Niall's his weekend sitter.

"As much as I adore your company, will you go back with Harlan? I'd feel more comfortable if he wasn't alone," Louis says with a blush. Harlan's his first and he's over protective, sue him.

Harry nods willingly and kisses Louis deeply, murmuring a quick 'I love you' before heading back to their son who's sitting in the middle of his castle and running his hands around in the sand.

"Hey, bug, whatcha doing?"

"I building a moat!" Harlan cheers.

"It looks great, Har," Harry laughs. "Should we give daddy his present now?"

Harlan drops the bucket and stands up so quickly he nearly ruins his castle. He's jumping up and down with a cheek splitting grin. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Harry can't contain the laughter bubbling upside and digs into his pocket for the platinum ring embedded with a row of diamonds, the inside scrawled with 'yours forever xx h' "Now you can't lose this, Harlan," Harry states sternly. "Keep it nice and safe in your hand and don't open it until we get to daddy, alright?"

"I pomise," Harlan nods, opening his tiny hand for the ring. Harry places the ring into his son's hand and watches the three year old hold it tightly in his grasp as he watches Harlan take off for Louis. "Daddy! Daddy!"

Louis drops the documents immediately, heart racing at the thought that something's happened to his son. He struggles to sit up, his large belly preventing him from doing anything graceful lately. He signs in relief when his son appears in his line of vision, hands coming up to check over his baby boy. "What's wrong, sweetie? Are you hurt?"

"Noooo," Harlan grumbles, having enough of his daddy twisting and turning him. "Look what I found!" Harlan shoves his tiny hand in Louis' face revealing the platinum band.

Louis' eyes widen in astonishment, taking the ring out of Harlan's hand and admiring the expensive piece of jewelry. Who in their right mind would lose something of this much value on the beach? "Harlan, where did you find this?"

"Daddy gave it to me," the toddler replies. "He says it's a pesent fow you!"

It takes Louis all of five seconds for everything to click. His eyes water as he stares at the lanky male behind his son. "H-Haz?"

Harry grins Louis' favorite smile and drops to one knee, taking both of Louis' hands in his own. "In the last three years, I've grown more in love with you than the first day I pulled you out of that street. We have son together with a little girl on our way and I'd be an idiot if I didn't make you my husband. Louis William Tomlinson, will you marry me?"

Louis' lip quivers, his heart racing a mile a minute as he shakily nods. "Yes," he croaks. "Yes!" Louis' arms are around Harry's neck before Harry can react, tears streaming down his cheeks as he holds his _fiancé_ close. Their daughter is kicking frantically inside, wondering why her daddy's mood has suddenly changed. "Yes, Harry, I'll marry you!" 

Harry's eyes are a bit misty from his lover's response as he slips the band on Louis' finger before grabbing his face and kissing him deeply. "I love you, Louis, and I promise to love you forever."

Louis sniffles and pulls away to admire the ring on his finger. _I'm engaged!_ "I love you, too, Hazza."

Harlan squirms his way in between his parents, staring at them with curious eyes. Harry giggles and scoops Harlan into his arms. "And we love you, too, big boy!"

"And Wyan, too!"

"And Rhian, too," Louis agrees, rubbing his swell. 

***

Louis drops to his elbows as Harry slams in particularly hard, pulling strangled cries from his lover. The violent rocking has lulled Rhian to sleep, giving Louis the opportunity to enjoy the feel of Harry's cock sliding in out of him instead of feeling their daughter's constant kicks to his bladder.

"H-Haz," Louis croaks, using one hand to brace himself why the other searches for his fiancé's. 

Harry's quick to drape himself over Louis, grabbing his lover's hands and splaying them over the headboard. He interlaces their hands together and leans forward to suck a mark on Louis' collarbone. "M'here, baby. It's me."

Although it's been years since either two have heard from Jayce, Louis' dreams are still plagued with the terror he experienced. Usually Louis' facing Harry every time they make love but Louis' found it easier to be on all fours when he's being fucked. His belly is out of the way and makes the drag of Harry's cock ten times more pleasurable.

Louis squeezes Harry's hands as his _fiancé_ assaults his prostate, the curly brunette littering Louis' neck with kisses. "You're so full, baby, aren't you? Full of my baby, full of my cock."

"Y-Yes...ngh...so full," Louis moans, his cock flushed and straining against his belly. He just wants to come. He doesn't realize he's voicing his pleas until he feels Harry's hand fist cock. "Fuck! Harry!"

"Shh, love," Harry coos into his ear, stroking Louis slowly. "Don't wanna wake Harlan."

Louis bites his lip, little moans slipping through them as he tries to stay quiet. Once Harlan's awake, he'll want their undivided attention. "Make me come, Haz, please I just need-- _oh._ "

Harry shifts his hips and Louis goes weak. Harry's thrusts are becoming erratic, signaling his end. He strokes Louis faster, using his precome for a smoother upstroke. "Come for me, love."

All it takes are those four words before Louis' tensing up and spilling over Harry's hand, biting into his own arm to muffle his cries. Harry comes shortly after with a groan of Louis' name before he slowly lowers them to the bed. 

"Fuck, baby, I love the sounds you make," Harry murmurs, grabbing Louis' chin and pressing a tender kiss to his lips. "And I love you."

"Mm, you too," the pregnant man mumbles. He can't form anything coherent right now. 

Harry chuckles and pecks his lips again before he rolls out of bed much to Louis' dismay. "M'gonna go grab a flannel."

"Hurry back..."

"Always."

Louis watches Harry traipse to the bathroom in all his naked glory. He wonders what he's done in the past to be engaged to someone so beautiful inside and out. Louis grimaces when he feels his belly tighten up before the bed is stained in amniotic fluid. "Shit... Haz!"

"We've been apart for mere minutes, Lou!" Harry laughs from the bathroom.

Louis groans and wants to curse Harry out but the rippling pain in his abdomen prevents him from doing so. "Harry, my water broke!"

Louis hears something clutter to the floor before Harry's rushing out of the bathroom. "But she's not due for another week!"

"Ready or not here she comes, Hazza," Louis breathes, hands fisting the sheets as he groans through a contraction. His eyes glance at the clock and he’s suddenly groaning for another reason. "Shit, Haz, you've got work in an hour."

Harry snorts. Of all things to worry about, his fiancé’s concerned about him losing his job. "Fuck work, babe, you're in labor."

Louis sighs and peers up at Harry. "Call Niall to watch Harlan. I don't want him worrying."

Harry nods and slips on a pair of trackies. "I'll phone him, love, don't worry, lemme go run the bath."

"K-Kay..."

Harry hesitates in the doorway, debating whether or not to leave his fiancé alone. "You gonna be okay for a couple of minutes?"

Louis smiles albeit shakily but nods. "I'm okay, Haz, go get everything ready."

Harry nods although everything is telling him to stay with Louis. But one glare from his lover tells him to go handle Harlan and Harry disappears in a flash.

Twenty minutes later, Niall's lying on the couch watching the telly while he listens out for Harlan. Louis' resting in the tub kneading the sides of his belly as Harry sits on the ground trekking his fingers through his lover's sweaty fringe.

"How you holding up, love?"

"Better than Harlan's birth," Louis sighs, wincing when he feels another contraction. His hand shoots out for Harry's and squeezes mercilessly. "Fuck!"

"Breathe, Lou," Harry coaches. "In through your nose, out with your mouth."

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP!" 

Harry purses his lips and leans against the wall, letting Louis work through the contraction the way he wants. After delivering his son, Harry had switched his field of nursing, choosing to be a labor and delivery nurse instead of working in the ER. He's witnessed enough mums and dads going through labor and delivery not to push their limits.

Harry opens his eyes when he hears Louis sniffling and caresses his cheek. "Rhian's just making her way slowly, babe. I wish I could make the pain go away."

"S'not that," Louis whimpers. "I j-just told you to shut up and you didn't deserve that. You should have hit me or something."

"Hold on," Harry quickly says, cupping Louis' face in his hands. "I thought we were over that hurtle, Lou? For Christ's sake you're in labor! You have every right to say whatever you want to me. I'd never put a hand on you unless it's out of love. You know that."

Louis explores Harry's features, a wet hand coming up to touch his cheek. "I don't deserve you."  
.  
"Rubbish. It's __I who doesn't deserve you."

Louis scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I don't know how you can say that."

Harry smiles and kisses Louis tenderly, resting his forehead against his fiancé's when they pull apart. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

***

"Haz! Haz she's crowning!" Louis cries out. Harry’s somewhere in the house with Harlan. The poor boy was crying for his daddies to the point that Louis told Harry to go be with him. Louis hears a shriek of some sort, putting a little smile on his lips before their daughter decides she wants to be born now and his body involuntarily contracts to accommodate her. "HARRY!"

Harry rounds the corner so quickly, it's amazing he didn't smash his face into the door. Harry peels off his sweats leaving him in his boxers and steps into the tub, seeing the fleshy mound of a skull stretching Louis beyond his limit. "Alright, Lou, just like last time," Harry coaches, pressing gentle hands against Louis' entrance. 

Louis swallows with a curt nod, gripping the sides of the tub and hunching forward, his body contracting to push the little girl out. He feels her moving quickly and it pulls a strangled yelp from Louis when her head pops out. "H-holy shit!"

"She's eager," Harry laughs, grabbing the suction bulb and clearing his daughter's airways. He wipes at her face, his heart swelling when he sees Rhian's got the shape of his eyes and nose. "Couple more pushes, love, and we'll have our little girl."

Louis releases his grip on the tub in favor of grabbing the backs of thighs and boring down. He's gnawing through his bottom lip as he feels Rhian's body exit his own, trying to keep the sounds of pain muffled in fear Harlan will hear. Louis' whole body tenses and then relaxes like a coil when Harry pulls their daughter free. 

The couple listens for that telltale cry and Louis' body goes stiff when it never comes. "Harry, is she okay? Why isn't she crying? What's wrong with her?"

"Give her a moment," Harry replies, flipping the baby over on her belly and rubbing her back. Rhian hiccups and lets out a tiny cough before her face goes red and she's wailing. "That's my girl."

Louis starts crying at the sound, his body overwhelmed and his hormones in overdrive from the mini state of panic he was put in.

"G-Give her to me," Louis demands, arms open. Harry quickly places the wiggling newborn on her chest and then blankets her with a towel. "Hi, baby, girl. Look at you."

"She's perfect, Louis, I'm so proud of you," Harry comments, clamping Rhian's chord before cutting it. "Rest a bit and then we'll get you and Rhian cleaned up, yeah?"

"Kay," Louis sniffles, littering Rhian's face in gentle kisses. "My baby girl. My sweet little bug."

***

"Now you've got to be quiet, buddy, okay?" Harry whispers. "Your little sister is sleeping and her ears are sensitive."

"But she's my baby, wight?" Harlan asks, blue eyes large in wonder.

Harry laughs and kisses his temple, rucking him higher on his hip. "Always your baby, bud."

Rhian's sleeping soundly against Louis' chest in a pink sleeper. Her bow lips parted slightly as she breathes evenly and Louis can't help but believe she's the most precious thing in the world right now. He's got a hand protectively on her back as Harry and Harlan enter the room. 

Louis' face split into a grin when he sees his family. It feels like ages since he's seen his son. "Hi, big boy, wanna meet your sister?"

"Yes," Harlan nods frantically, trying to get out of Harry's grip. Harry sets him on the edge of the bed and Louis pats the empty spot next to him. 

"You gotta be super quiet and careful, alright?"

Harlan stares at the tiny baby in Louis' arms and nods, a chubby hand coming out to pat Rhian's back lightly. "Hi sistoh. I'm Hawan."

Louis can't stifle the giggle slipping through his lips and shifts Rhian a bit so Harlan has a better view. "Papa and I are gonna need a lot of help with Rhian. Will you be our big helper, love?"

Harlan's eyes widen in excitement and he nods frantically, "Yes pease!"

Louis uses his free arm to wrap around Harlan's little frame and kisses his cheek. "That’s my big boy. I love you, buddy."

"I love you, too, daddy."

Harry stands by the bed admiring his little family and he's so proud of what Louis has become in the three years they've been together. He's no longer this sheltered man he pulled out of the street. He's become a great mother to Harlan and now Rhian and Harry thanks God every day for his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After careful thinking, I'm not going to make a sequel. I love how it ended and I think this is as far as I'm going to take it! Thanks again for reading! :)
> 
>  
> 
> [Baby Rhian Mae Tomlinson](http://dekart.biz/wp-content/uploads/parser/newborn-baby-girl-clothing-6.jpg)


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